An hour later, the paramedics had wrapped Maya's burn in sterile bandage dressings and left for the regional clinic to file the official medical report.
In the mansion study, Mark sat behind his mahogany desk alongside his corporate attorney, David Brooks, while Sarah brewed warm tea for little Maya.
Lawyer Brooks: Mark, I just received the preliminary police report from the Dallas precinct. Chloe is being held without bail on felony charges of child abuse, assault with a deadly weapon, and extortion.
Mark: Good. I want a restraining order filed immediately, David. She shouldn't be allowed within five miles of Maya or this house.
Lawyer Brooks: I've already drafted the emergency protection order. But Mark, we have a bigger problem regarding her financial paperwork.
Mark: What did you find in her room?
David opened a thick black accordion folder that police investigators had cleared from Chloe's personal desk.
Lawyer Brooks: Chloe wasn't just in debt, Mark. She owes over two million dollars to an illegal gambling ring in Las Vegas.
Mark: Two million dollars?! How did she hide that from my background check?!
Lawyer Brooks: She used a stolen social security number belonging to her deceased cousin. She's been living under a false identity for the past three years.
Sarah: Sweet lord... That woman was a professional fraudster from the start!
Lawyer Brooks: Exactly, Sarah. And look at these bank transfer forms dated yesterday.
David slid three white document pages across the mahogany desk for Mark to inspect.
Mark: These are authorization letters to liquidate Maya's late mother's trust fund...
Lawyer Brooks: She had a crooked notary ready to stamp your forged signature tomorrow morning. If she had succeeded, fifteen million dollars would have been wired to an offshore account in Grand Cayman by noon.
Mark: She married me just to steal my daughter's inheritance...
Lawyer Brooks: Yes. And when she realized you were having a private investigator look into her background, she panicked.
Lawyer Brooks: She tried to force Maya to convince you to sign the trustee documents before your investigator delivered his final report today.
Maya: Daddy... is that bad lady ever coming back here?
Mark walked over to the armchair where Maya was sitting, kneeling down beside her and wrapping his arms around her shoulder.
Mark: No, sweetheart. She is never, ever coming back to this house. The police are going to put her in prison for a very long time.
Maya: She told me that if I yelled for help, nobody would come because you were busy with your work.
Mark: Oh, baby... I will always come when you call me. Nothing in this world is more important to me than you.
Sarah: She tried to convince the child that you didn't love her, Mr. Vance. She was playing psychological games with her for weeks whenever you were at the office.
Mark: I should have noticed sooner, Sarah... I was so wrapped up in the corporate merger that I left my daughter vulnerable to a viper.
Sarah: Don't blame yourself, Mr. Vance. That woman was a master manipulator. She tricked everyone.
Mark: Well, her tricking days are over. David, I want you to initiate immediate annulment proceedings on grounds of fraud and criminal intent.
Lawyer Brooks: I'll have the annulment papers served to her jail cell by tomorrow morning, Mark. She won't get a single penny from your estate or the trust fund.
Mark: Make sure she pays for every second of pain she caused my daughter.