Elena didn't sleep that night, her mind was all over the place.
At six in the morning, her doorbell rang and Mia was asleep on the other couch, having refused to leave Elena alone. She woke up instantly.
"Who is it?"
Elena looked through the peephole and her stomach dropped. A woman in an expensive suit stood there holding a briefcase.
"Ms. Carter? I'm Rebecca Walsh, attorney for Ethan Blackwood. I need to speak with you."
Elena opened the door but kept the chain on.
"It's six in the morning."
"Mr. Blackwood wanted me here before the children woke up. May I come in?"
"No."
Rebecca didn't look surprised. She pulled papers from her briefcase and held them up.
"This is a petition for paternity testing and temporary custody arrangement. You can accept service now or I can have a process server track you down at work. Your choice."
Elena's hands shook as she took the papers through the gap in the door.
"The paternity test is scheduled for tomorrow at ten AM," Rebecca continued.
"A private lab, very discreet. Both children will need to be present."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then Mr. Blackwood will file in family court and it becomes public record. The media will have a field day. Is that what you want for your children?"
Elena wanted to slam the door in her face but she couldn't. Rebecca was right, if this went public, Liam and Lily would be hounded by reporters and photographers.
"Fine. We'll be there."
"Good. And Ms. Carter? Mr. Blackwood asked me to inform you that he's moved the gala planning meetings to his private residence. Starting today at two PM. He felt it would be more appropriate given the circumstances." She said with her stern face.
"Circumstances?"
"He wants to get to know his children in a comfortable environment. The contract requires your cooperation." Rebecca handed her another document.
"This is a revised schedule. You'll bring the children with you to all meetings until custody is formally arranged." She added.
"He can't do that." Elena whispered forcing the tears already forming in her eyes back.
"Actually, he can. The contract amendment you received yesterday gives him considerable flexibility in how the planning process unfolds. If you breach it, you owe two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars." Rebecca smiled, but it wasn't friendly.
"I'll see you at two PM, Ms. Carter."
She walked away, and probably intentionallyafe her hills click that hard.
Elena closed the door and leaned against it, the papers clutched in her hands.
"That bastard," Mia said, reading over her shoulder.
"He's using the contract to force you to bring the kids to him."
"I know." She replied gently.
"Can he do that? Legally?"
"I don't know. I need a lawyer but I can't afford one." Elena looked at the stack of bills on her counter.
"The advance he paid barely covered our debts."
Her phone rang and it was an unknown number again.
Elena answered, too tired to care anymore.
"What?"
"Ms. Carter, this is Marcus Webb from New York Family Law Associates. I've been retained to represent you in the matter of Blackwood versus Carter." The person said from the other end.
"I didn't hire you." She replied.
"Someone did. Pro bono. They wish to remain anonymous but they've covered all costs."
Elena's mind raced. Who would do that?
"I don't understand."
"I've reviewed the documents Ms. Walsh just delivered. We need to meet today before your two PM appointment. Can you come to my office at noon?"
"I have to find childcare..."
"Bring them. My office has a playroom."
Elena agreed because she had no other choice. After hanging up, she looked at Mia.
"Someone hired me a lawyer." She replied still surprised.
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"Ethan?"
"Why would he hire me a lawyer to fight against himself?"
They both sat in confused silence until Liam wandered out of the bedroom, rubbing his eyes.
"Mommy? Why are you awake so early?"
Elena pulled him into her lap, breathing in his little boy smell.
"Just some grown up stuff, baby. Nothing for you to worry about."
But she was lying. Everything was something to worry about now.
At noon, Elena sat in Marcus Webb's office while Liam and Lily played in the room next door. Marcus was in his fifties.
"The paternity test is standard procedure," he explained.
"We can't fight it and honestly, I wouldn't advise trying. It'll just make you look like you have something to hide."
"I don't want them to be traumatized." Elena replied.
"It's just a cheek swab. They won't even know what it's for." Marcus flipped through the papers.
"What concerns me more is this custody arrangement he's proposing. He wants joint legal custody immediately, pending the test results."
"Can he get that?"
"Possibly. He has resources and you kept the children from him for four years. A judge might see that as parental alienation." The Lawyer said.
"I didn't know he was looking for me! His father blocked all my attempts to contact him!"
"Can you prove that?"
Elena thought about the assistant who'd thrown her out, the security guards who'd escorted her from the building, the phone calls that went unanswered.
"No."
Marcus sighed.
"Then we have an uphill battle. But Elena, I need to ask you something and I need you to be honest. Is there any possibility these children aren't his?"
"No. He's the only man I've ever been with." She replied honestly.
Marcus nodded.
"Then our strategy is simple. We cooperate with the test, we don't fight reasonable visitation, but we push for primary physical custody to remain with you. You've been their sole parent for four years. That counts for something."
"What about this contract? Can he really force me to bring them to his house?"
"The contract is tricky. It's unusual but not illegal. However, I can argue that using business leverage to gain access to minor children is inappropriate. It won't break the contract but it might make a judge look unfavorably on his tactics later."
Elena felt a small spark of hope.
"So what do I do?"
"Go to the meeting today. Bring the children, but I'm coming with you." Marcus stood up.
"And Elena? Don't sign anything else without calling me first."
Later that evening, Elena stood in Ethan's penthouse with the twins clutching her hands and Marcus Webb, her lawyer, by her side. Ethan had changed into jeans and a button-down shirt, trying to look less intimidating but it didn't work as his eyes went straight to the twins.
The lawyers introduced themselves while Liam announced he was hungry. Ethan offered cookies, and before Elena could stop him, her son had run off to the kitchen as Lily stayed pressed against Elena's leg, too shy to follow.
Elena followed them to the kitchen and Ethan knelt down to Liam's level, pulling out cookies and juice boxes. Her son asked if Ethan was Mommy's friend but Ethan said they used to be friends but had a disagreement. Liam pointed out that grown-ups always said things were complicated when they didn't want to explain. Ethan smiled and admitted the four-year-old was right.
Elena's throat tightened. She'd expected anger and demands. Not this gentle man talking to their son like he was precious, his voice rough with emotion.
Rebecca Walsh, Ethan's attorney has suggested they discuss custody while the children ate. The proposal was simple to be supervised visitation three times a week, increasing to overnight visits later.
Then came the real shock where Rebecca suggested Elena and the twins move into a property Ethan owned, in the same building as him but separate for security.
Marcus asked what security threat required that and Ethan's answer was one word. His father. Richard had already approached the children at their school, he was unpredictable and saw Elena and the twins as leverage. Ethan wanted them somewhere safe with proper security.
Elena protested that this was manipulation, but Ethan stated facts. Her building had no doorman, no security cameras, nothing to stop Richard. If Elena refused, Ethan would file for emergency custody, claiming she couldn't protect children who were targets because of their father.
Every option led back to Ethan controlling everything and Elena asked for time to think. Rebecca gave her until morning, after the paternity test results came back.
A crash interrupted them. Liam had knocked over his juice box and was crying. Elena rushed over but Ethan got there first, he picked up the boy, cleaned the mess, and soothed him. When Liam wrapped his arms around Ethan's neck, something broke inside Elena. She watched her son hug the father he didn't know he had.
Ethan caught her eyes over Liam's head.
When they left, Liam didn't want to go. He asked if they could come back and Ethan said he'd really like that.
In the elevator, Marcus was honest. Ethan wasn't wrong about security, and he was good with the children. Marcus could fight this if Elena wanted, but he wasn't sure they'd win, and he wasn't sure fighting was best for the twins.
Elena had no answer.
That night, after the twins were asleep, she has gone outside for fresh air.
Blackwood sent a message offering compensation if she left New York immediately and if she stay, she'd regret it.
Another message came from Ethan, it was about a suspicious car had been parked outside her apartment for three hours. The license plate traced to a security firm his father used. He was sending a car for her and the children now.
Elena looked down at the street and a black sedan was there. A man in the driver's seat raised a camera and photographed her window.
She immediately called Mia with shaking hands.
"We have a problem."
