An hour later, Julian sat inside a quiet high rise office building downtown.
His chief legal attorney, Marcus, read through the old hospital files on the desk.
Claire sat beside Julian, wearing a warm wool sweater Julian had bought her quickly.
Marcus: This is a massive case of family fraud and fake legal documentation.
Julian: Can we freeze their corporate shares before the main evening meeting begins?
Marcus: Yes, because your marriage to Claire was never legally dissolved by any court.
Marcus showed them the old marriage certificate Julian had carried in his wallet for years.
It was completely valid under state law, making Victoria's legal claims totally useless.
Claire looked at the clean paper, her fingers touching the dark blue ink stamp.
Claire: They kept me locked in a cheap suburban apartment for six whole months.
Claire: Victoria's brother told me you were already living with another woman in Europe.
Julian: They lied to you every single day to keep us completely apart, Claire.
Julian held her cool hand tightly, his knuckles turning white with deep anger inside.
Julian: They wanted my grandfather's trust fund, which required me to be unmarried or remarried.
Marcus: We have enough hard evidence right now to file criminal charges for fraud.
The attorney signed three official emergency court documents right in front of them.
He handed the fresh papers to his assistant to file at the city courthouse instantly.
Marcus: Victoria's father will be served with an injunction within thirty minutes.
Claire let out a long breath she felt like she had been holding for years.
She looked out the clear glass window at the noisy city streets down below.
The scary shadow that had ruined her young life was finally starting to vanish.
Julian pulled her close, kissing her forehead softly as the sun moved lower outside.
Julian: Let us go take back what belongs to our family now.