Chapter 16 - THE LAST DESPERATE GAMBIT
Eighteen months had passed since the night in the garage. The wounds of the past had healed into faint scars, and life at the redesigned Ferrante Estate had settled into a joyful, steady rhythm.
However, deep within the state correctional system, a final ember of malice remained.
Marjorie Ferrante, serving a twenty-year sentence for conspiracy and attempted murder, had refused to accept defeat. Through an unethical prison paralegal, she had secretly managed to funnel her remaining hidden assets into hiring a notorious fix-it lawyer named Arthur Pendelton—a man known for exploiting legal loopholes to harass high-profile families.
On a crisp autumn morning, Sienna was surprised at her office by a court process server delivering a formal civil lawsuit.
Marjorie was suing Sienna and Nico for "wrongful alienation of affection," claiming that the recorded audio on Mila’s smartphone was illegally obtained wiretap evidence under state law and demanding the immediate freezing of the Mila & Elena Education and Architecture Trust.
In Nico’s study, Prosecutor Evelyn Reed examined the filing, her brows furrowed in disgust.
"It’s a frivolous motion, Sienna," Reed explained. "Under state statutes, a minor recording a conversation in a shared residential space without an expectation of privacy is entirely admissible, especially when unmasking a felony. Marjorie is simply trying to drag your name into tabloid headlines one last time to force a settlement."
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"She won't get a single penny," Nico said coldly, his eyes burning with quiet, unyielding authority. "We fought her in the dark when she had power. We certainly will not yield to her now that she wears an orange jumpsuit."
Sienna looked at the legal papers, feeling no fear—only a quiet, iron resolve. "Let her bring it to court, Evelyn. I want this litigated in full view of the public so no one can ever question my daughters' rights again."
