Chapter 4 - The Betrayal
By mid-day, the custody hearing had turned into a criminal investigation. Vanessa was taken into custody on charges of kidnapping and child endangerment. Elaine, however, was already gone.
"She has a private jet on standby at Midway," Marcus whispered to Adam. "We think she’s heading for the border."
"Not on my watch," Adam said. He grabbed his coat, his heart pounding. "Natalie, stay here. I’m going to the airport."
He drove like a madman, his mind flashing back to Sophie’s face in the doghouse. They had tried to destroy his life, his family, and his legacy. He wouldn't let his mother escape the consequences of her choices.
He reached the private hangar just as the engines were spinning up. A black sedan blocked his path, but he slammed the gas, maneuvering around it with a screech of tires. He ran toward the plane, ignoring the shouting security guards.
"Elaine!" he screamed over the roar of the turbine.
The door to the plane opened, and his mother stood there, looking down at him. She didn't look scared; she looked disappointed.
"You were always so sentimental, Adam," she said, her voice carrying over the wind. "You thought the money was for us. It was for you. I was building an empire for you to inherit. You just weren't smart enough to handle the dirt."
"I don't want your empire," Adam said, his eyes burning. "I want my daughter to sleep at night without screaming."
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He held up his phone, showing her a live stream of the federal agents approaching the tarmac. "It’s over."
Elaine looked at the approaching lights, then back at Adam. A strange, fleeting expression crossed her face—something like pride, or perhaps, a final realization. She stepped back and closed the door. The plane didn't take off. The pilots had received the order.
