Chapter 85

Chapter 85
Chapter85

A modern room on the third floor of a law firm in Midtown Manhattan. The room contained wooden shelves of law books, thick carpeting, and wide windows overlooking the busy city.

Damian Lancaster sat at the end of a long glass-topped desk, his suit perfect without a single wrinkle. Beside him, Isabella looked elegant, but the look in her eyes was sharp. Across from them, Jared Matthews—a lawyer specializing in custody and family cases—was staring intently at the file Damian had just handed him.

"All the documents are there," Damian said, his tone firm. "DNA test results, records of the Elena scandal."

Jared flipped through the pages, his brow furrowing occasionally. He didn’t speak right away.

"Add to that the news that just went viral last week," Isabella interrupted, handing over a cell phone with a link to Elena's scandalous past. "That woman has a bad track record. Not fit to be a mother."

Damian gave her a quick glance. "That's what I used as evidence of moral judgment. I don't mean to put her down personally. But Alva—my biological son—deserves to grow up in a safe environment."

Jared finally nodded slowly. "This evidence is strong. The DNA is undeniable. You are Alva's biological father and—from a legal perspective—have a legitimate basis to seek custody, especially if you can prove that the current environment is not ideal."

"And I have a nanny, a big house with a private garden, flexible hours, and a steady income," Damian added. "I've prepared all the financial documents as well."

Jared flipped through one file. "And you're sure you don't want to take the other three children?"

Damian shook his head. "They're not my flesh and blood," he said, forced to lie. "I only want Alva. I lost one child, Mr. Matthews. I don't want to lose another."

Isabella crossed her arms. "The child now calls a strange man 'Daddy'. Does that make sense? While his biological father wasn’t even given a chance."

Jared jotted down a few points in his notes. "I'll start with the appeal. Since Elena is married, we will have to file a formal lawsuit in the family court. This will involve a hearing, a psychological evaluation, and possibly a child mediator."

Yes, Damian and Isabella already knew that Elena and Nathan were married. Damian had been secretly monitoring Elena's movements.

"I'm ready for that," Damian said firmly.

Jared smiled briefly. "Okay. We start today."

\---

On the other side of town, in SoHo, an ice cream shop called Milk & Cream Dreams was filled with young families. In the corner, Elena and Nathan sat at a long table with their four children. The table was filled with colorful bowls of ice cream of various flavors.

"Vanilla bean with marshmallow for you, Ketty," said Nathan, handing her a bowl.

"Thanks, Daddy!" replied Ketty excitedly.

"Delya, did you order rainbow crunch? Here you go," said Elena, handing over a small bowl with colorful toppings.

"Waaaah, this is my favorite right now!" Delya hugged the bowl.

Alva sat on Nathan's lap, licking the melted chocolate ice cream smeared on his chin.

"Daddy, it’s all melted," he complained with round eyes.

Nathan laughed. "You were busy playing games, so here, Daddy will wipe it off."

Olivia sat at the end of the table, savoring the matcha ice cream while watching the people around her. "This place is so cool. We should take a family photo."

Elena nodded. "Agreed. But wait, clean Alva’s mouth first."

The kids laughed. Nathan pulled out his cell phone. "Smile, everyone! One... two..."

Click.

Elena stared at the photo. Five faces full of laughter. Five hearts that filled each other.

"If I could, I’d want a day like this to last forever," she said quietly, just enough for Nathan to hear.

Nathan glanced at her. "We can make that happen. One day at a time."

Elena nodded. But deep inside, she felt something—like cold air penetrating the warmth of ice cream. A premonition. She didn’t know what yet, but it was as if a storm was approaching.

Nathan watched her expression. "Wife, are you okay?"

"Yeah, just a little anxious. Don’t know why."

Nathan took her hand, clasping it tightly. "Maybe it's just how you feel."

Elena smiled, but didn’t answer. She just looked at her children. Then, silently, she hugged Alva tighter.

Because somewhere, someone was preparing a way to take hi
m away.

"What the hell is going on?" Elena said to herself.

Continued...