Chapter 6 - The Bloodline Revealed-6
"My God..." Thomas Vance breathed.
For a man who had dominated state politics for three decades, a man who had faced federal indictments and press ambushes without flinching, Thomas Vance looked completely unmoored. He took two slow steps toward the couch, ignoring me entirely, his gaze fixed on my son.
"Julian..." Thomas whispered under his breath, his voice laced with an eerie, disturbing mix of shock and twisted reverence. "It's Julian..."
"His name is Leo," I said firmly, taking a step toward Thomas, forcing him to look at me. "And he is my son."
Thomas slowly turned his gaze to me, his eyes narrowing as the political machinery in his brain kicked back into high gear.
"Julian’s boy," Thomas said, it wasn't a question; it was a statement of fact. "He has the Vance blood. The eyes... the brow... there is no mistaking it." He took a deep breath, his chest expanding as he adjusted his posture, regaining his cool, dominant composure. "You kept my grandson hidden from me for ten years, Emma."
"I saved his life from you," I corrected brutally.
Arthur gasped in terror at my tone, but Thomas merely raised a hand, waving Arthur’s panic away like a pesky fly.
"You were young and confused," Thomas said smoothly, his voice dropping into that hypnotic, persuasive register he used during campaigns. "I understand why you fled. You thought Julian was dead. You were scared. But this changes everything, Emma. A Vance belongs in Ohio. He belongs in the family estate. He belongs in private academies, preparing to take over the family legacy."
"He doesn't belong to you," I spat. "And he will never step foot inside your house."
Thomas laughed—a short, dry sound that had no humor in it. "My dear girl, look around you. Your parents live in a crumbling shack on a pension that I subsidize. You're a single mother working dead-end jobs. I have the resources to give this boy the world. Do you really think a judge in this county—a county where every magistrate owes their appointment to my office—would leave my biological grandson in your hands if I file for custody?"
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"Thomas, please..." Eleanor whimpered from the kitchen doorway. "She's his mother..."
"Quiet, Eleanor," Thomas snapped without looking at her. He turned back to me, his gray eyes locking onto mine like iron grips. "You have twenty-four hours, Emma. You will bring Leo to the Vance Manor tomorrow evening for dinner. We will discuss a formal custody and support agreement. If you refuse, or if you try to leave this town tonight, my security team will have you arrested for child endangerment and kidnapping before you hit the county line."
