The lawsuit arrived at 6:42 a.m.
Not by mail.
Not quietly.
But through every news platform in the country.
MARISSA COLE FILES PATERNITY AND EMOTIONAL DISTRESS CLAIM AGAINST ADRIAN VALE
Elena read it while sitting alone in the breakfast room, a cup of tea untouched in front of her. The mansion felt too large this morning. Too silent. Like it was waiting.
Her eyes skimmed the article again.
Court-ordered DNA test.
Public hearing.
Compensation claim.
Character allegations.
And one particular sentence caught her breath.
Sources close to Marissa claim that Adrian Vale misrepresented his marital status at the time of conception.
Elena’s stomach twisted.
The implication was clear.
If the timeline overlapped—
If the world believed Adrian had been married already—
This wouldn’t jus
