Chapter 4 - THE PROBATE TRAP
Vanessa’s green eyes narrowed, her cruelty returning as she realized Ethan wasn't going to strike her. She folded her arms across her rust-colored jumpsuit, her posture stiffening into cold defiance.
"Your sister, Sarah, owed three hundred thousand dollars to my firm before she died in that car crash, Ethan," Vanessa sneered, her voice dropping into a razor-sharp whisper. "This house, the land, the trust fund for those two little brats—it’s all tied to the debt settlement."
"You were supposed to be their nanny," Ethan said softly. "My sister trusted you."
"Your sister was naive," Vanessa snapped. "She thought family loyalty meant something. But the estate board gave me full authority over this residence until the probate hearing on Monday. If I report that you are an unstable, aggressive father who cannot maintain a safe environment, the court will strip your custody before sunset."
She leaned in slightly, her tight auburn hair perfectly neat, her cold green eyes burning with malicious triumph.
"You touch me, Ethan, and I call the sheriff. You fire me, and I report child endangerment based on the bruises I'll tell the judge you gave her. You lose those kids forever."
Ethan stared at her for five long seconds. He didn't blink. He didn't raise his hand.
Instead, he walked past her to the small entryway table where his heavy iron keyring lay. He picked up his truck keys, tossed the leather belt into his work bag, and turned his back on her.
"The probate hearing is in four days," Ethan said, his voice terrifyingly calm. "Until then, Vanessa... you don't touch my children. You don't speak to them. You don't step past the kitchen threshold."
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"Or what?" Vanessa mocked, a thin, cruel smile touching her lips. "You'll call the cops on me? It's my word against yours, Ethan. And I have the court documents."
Ethan looked her dead in the eye. "Or you'll find out why my sister kept the basement locked before you arrived."
