Chapter 8: The Interrogation
The living room felt smaller with Vance and his associates occupying the armchairs, their dark suits contrasting sharply with the remaining pastel balloons. Lily had been safely tucked away in the upstairs playroom with a movie playing at high volume, supervised by Evelyn who stood guard at the top of the stairs. Clara sat opposite Vance on the edge of the sofa, her posture rigid and defensive. Leo remained in the background near the bookshelf, pretending to read a comic book while keeping the tablet perfectly angled to capture video and audio of the entire exchange. Vance opened a leather portfolio, pulling out printed transcripts of Clara’s private phone calls and medical notes.
Vance leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, adopting the tone of a disappointed mentor rather than a predatory adversary. He systematically listed Clara’s supposed infractions—missed counseling sessions, emotional outbursts, and now, the alarming incident involving the scissors and her own daughter. He framed every action as a symptom of progressive psychological decline, building a airtight narrative designed to strip her of custody by the end of the week. Clara listened without interrupting, studying Vance’s face for any sign of genuine human empathy and finding only a hollow ambition driven by institutional control.
When Vance paused to demand Clara’s immediate signature on a voluntary relinquishment form, she finally spoke. Her voice was ice-cold, carrying an authority that startled the two silent associates flanking the doorway. Clara calmly informed Vance that she was well aware of the board’s financial incentives for seizing children and redistributing them to wealthy donors. Vance’s polite facade slipped for a fraction of a second, his eyes narrowing into cold slits as he realized she wasn't the broken woman he had anticipated. He stood up abruptly, signaling his associates to prepare for a forced removal, threatening to call the authorities to execute an emergency psychiatric hold immediately.
