Chapter 2 - Unraveling the Betrayal
By midnight, Garrett’s primary residence—a peaceful estate nestled in the quiet outskirts of Dallas—was filled with a soft, warm light.
After hours of coordination with airport authorities, police investigators, and emergency social services, Garrett had managed to secure legal temporary guardianship of Maisie and Theo. His lead legal counsel, Arthur Vance—no relation to the stepmother—had worked miracles alongside local judges to ensure the traumatized children were spared a night in a public holding facility.
Dean had arranged for a private doctor to examine the twins at the house. Other than mild dehydration and exhaustion, both kids were physically unharm. But the psychological wound ran deep.
While Maisie and Theo slept side-by-side in a guest bedroom, sound asleep under heavy down comforters, Garrett sat in his home library with Dean and Marcus Crane, a former federal investigator whom Garrett kept on retainer.
"What do we know about Helen Vance?" Garrett asked, pouring a cup of black coffee.
Marcus opened a thick manila folder and laid out several documents on the mahogany desk. "It’s a calculated horror, Garrett. The children's biological father was Julian Vance, a wealthy real estate developer from Chicago. Julian died suddenly three months ago from a cardiac condition."
"And Helen?" Dean asked.
"Helen was Julian’s second wife. They were married for less than two years," Marcus explained, pointing to financial records. "Julian’s will was structured quite clearly: his entire estate, valued at roughly forty million dollars, was placed into a blind trust for his biological children, Maisie and Theo. Helen was granted a generous living stipend and residency in the family home until the kids reached adulthood, at which point the trust dissolved."
Garrett’s eyes narrowed. "Unless the children were no longer around."
"Precisely," Marcus said. "Under the terms of the trust, if the children are deceased or declared legally missing without trace for a specified period, the primary beneficiary defaults to Helen Vance. She spent the last two months liquidating movable assets, closing local accounts, and obtaining single-entry visas."
"She brought them from O'Hare to Dallas on purpose," Dean realized aloud. "A massive hub. She intentionally detached them from their origin point, abandoned them at a random gate, and boarded an international flight to erase her footprint."
Garrett walked over to the window, staring out into the dark gardens. "She assumed two five-year-old children wouldn't be able to give police full names, background details, or account for where they came from. She expected them to be lost in the foster system as unidentified dependents while she claimed the estate in Europe."
"It gets darker," Marcus added softly. "Her flight landed at London Heathrow four hours ago. British authorities were alerted by federal agents mid-flight, but Helen didn't clear customs. She booked an immediate connecting flight to a non-extradition jurisdiction in Eastern Europe using a secondary foreign passport."
"She thinks she slipped away," Garrett said, his voice dropping into a dangerous, icy whisper. "She thinks those children are invisible."
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He turned back toward his team.
"Marcus, launch a full international asset freeze through our legal channels. Trace every account associated with Julian Vance’s estate. Dean, hire the finest child psychologists and pediatric specialists in the country. From this moment on, Helen Vance doesn't get a single cent—and Maisie and Theo will never feel abandoned again."
