Chapter 3
By the following afternoon, Lucius had an attorney representing him separately from every Barrone company.
He also contacted a family-law attorney.
Selene was Willa’s mother.
Whatever Selene had done, Lucius could not simply declare that she would never see their daughter again.
He needed evidence.
He needed temporary custody orders.
He needed professionals who were not paid to tell him what he wanted to hear.
That was unfamiliar territory.
He accepted it anyway.
The family lawyer, Rachel Wynn, gave him the first unpleasant truth.
“Your reputation will matter.”
“I know.”
“No. You know people are afraid of you. That isn’t the same thing.”
Lucius said nothing.
Rachel continued.
“A judge is going to see a father associated with organized crime and a mother who says she was managing a household during a crisis. If you want the court to understand what happened to Willa, you need to behave like a father asking for protection—not a boss demanding obedience.”
Lucius looked at her.
“Then tell me what to do.”
“Document. Preserve. Cooperate. Don’t threaten anyone.”
His mouth tightened.
“I already failed the last one.”
“Yes.”
The line about someone being “about to die” had been captured on multiple security cameras.
Rachel did not minimize it.
Neither did Lucius.
Meanwhile, Daniel reconstructed Tristan’s temporary appointment.
The family council had named him “acting representative” thirty-six hours after the wreck.
Not boss.
Not permanent successor.
Acting representative for twenty-one days.
Lucius read the document.
“Why twenty-one?”
Daniel did not know.
The authority was also strangely narrow.
Tristan could approve contracts, banking instructions, vendor changes, and emergency corporate resolutions.
But he could not alter ownership, succession documents, or long-term family structure.
That was the second clue.
If Tristan and Selene believed Lucius was dead and wanted Tristan permanently in control, why design authority that expired in three weeks?
Lucius studied the final page.
Tristan’s signature appeared beneath a paragraph certifying that all decisions made during the emergency period were his responsibility as acting representative.
Personal responsibility.
Lucius looked at Daniel.
“Who drafted this?”
“A firm Selene hired two days after your crash.”
“Not our normal counsel?”
“No.”
Lucius read it again.
Something about the arrangement bothered him.
Tristan had received the crest.
The title.
May you like
The visible authority.
And, buried beneath all of it, responsibility for every signature he placed during those twenty-one days.
