Chapter 9 - THE CROWN
Inside the high-ceilinged probate courtroom on the fourth floor, the atmosphere was suffocatingly quiet.
Judge Miller, a stern woman in her sixties, sat behind the elevated wooden bench, reviewing the thick stack of Swiss medical documents, DNA results, and original trust agreements laid out by my legal team.
Don Marco Falcone sat at the defense table, flanked by three pale, sweating lawyers who were frantically shuffling papers as they realized their fraudulent transfer claims were falling apart under judicial scrutiny.
Matteo sat beside me at the plaintiff table, his arm resting casually over the back of my chair, his presence a constant, immovable wall of strength.
After twenty agonizing minutes of quiet review, Judge Miller set the documents down and adjusted her glasses.
"The court has reviewed the certified DNA analysis provided by the University Hospital of Zurich," Judge Miller announced, her voice echoing through the silent room. "The biological markers are an absolute match. Miss Sophie Bennett is hereby recognized as the legitimate daughter and sole surviving heir of Arthur Vance."
I let out a long, shaky breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
"Furthermore," Judge Miller continued, glance sharply at Falcone’s legal team, "the purported transfer deeds submitted by Falcone Capital bear obvious procedural discrepancies and are hereby declared null and void. Full voting control of the Vance Logistics Network and Terminal 4 docks is immediately transferred to Miss Bennett."
GAVEL STRIKES.
"Court is adjourned."
A wave of quiet chatter broke out among the spectators.
Falcone stood up violently, knocking his chair back, his face crimson with fury. He glared at me across the wooden railing, whispering a single word under his breath—Traitor—before his lawyers dragged him out through the side exit to avoid the federal marshals waiting in the hall.
I sat back in my leather chair, staring at the mahogany desk in front of me.
Just twenty-four hours ago, I was worrying about making rent and picking up extra shifts at a noisy nightclub. Now, with a single strike of a wooden gavel, I was one of the most powerful property owners in New England.
Matteo turned his chair toward me. He reached out, his long fingers gently taking my chin, lifting my face so I had to look into his eyes.
"Congratulations, Miss Vance," Matteo said softly, a genuine, warm smile touching his lips. "You just took Boston."
I looked at him, feeling a wild mixture of exhaustion, relief, and an overwhelming, irresistible attraction pulling me toward him.
"I couldn't have done it without my bodyguard," I whispered with a tiny, breathless smile.
May you like
Matteo leaned in close, his lips brushing against mine in a sweet, slow, lingering kiss that made the rest of the world melt away completely.
"I’m not just your bodyguard, Sophie," Matteo whispered against my lips. "I’m your partner."
