Chapter 13 - THE FORGED FAMILY
Dr. Wells admitted pre-signing reports and designing the three-incident strategy.
He claimed Serena promised the emergency guardian role would last only long enough to remove Victor from Blackwood Group.
He said he believed Ethan would remain physically safe.
The bath burn and foyer video destroyed that excuse.
He had seen photographs of the wrist mark.
He wrote “minor thermal incident” without examining the child.
He knew Serena intended another injury.
Wells also described Serena’s family strategy.
She wanted Victor to marry her before the guardianship hearing.
Marriage would strengthen her claim as Ethan’s familiar parent figure.
The wedding had been scheduled for six weeks after the foyer incident.
Victor canceled it from the hospital.
Serena’s attorneys said the cancellation showed emotional bias.
Family court called it obvious safety.
The engagement contract contained financial protections for Victor.
Serena’s separate planning documents treated marriage as evidence of family status.
She had already ordered stationery naming herself:
SERENA BLACKWOOD — MOTHER AND GUARDIAN.
No adoption had occurred.
Ethan’s birth certificate and Amelia’s role were obstacles Serena believed branding could overcome.
At Blackwood House, Victor removed Serena’s belongings under court supervision.
He asked whether Amelia’s portrait should return to the foyer.
Judith advised him not to turn the house into competing female symbols.
Ethan’s safety did not require replacing Serena’s image with Amelia’s everywhere.
Victor kept family photographs in Ethan’s room and private spaces.
The foyer became neutral.
I appreciated the decision.
The civil mediation began.
Blackwood household management admitted failing to log key access and employee complaints.
The security company admitted Nathan Cross answered privately to Serena while billing Victor.
Victor admitted ignoring Nora’s request for an independent review after the bath incident.
Nora had emailed him.
His assistant forwarded it to Serena.
Victor never read the original.
Delegation had become blindness.
The proposed settlement funded compensation, therapy, legal fees, and an independent domestic-worker reporting program.
Rebecca asked for a public correction clearing her theft allegation.
I asked for the same.
Nora requested severance and training reforms.
We did not demand identical outcomes.
Victor agreed to publish an accurate report after criminal proceedings.
Maria advised me that settlement would not require forgiveness or confidentiality regarding abuse.
I accepted in principle.
Before final signing, Serena’s attorneys offered me a separate payment.
Five million dollars if I withdrew my testimony that Serena said Ethan needed discipline.
The foyer video had no audio.
My words would prove the statement.
I reported the offer.
The attorneys claimed it was ordinary civil settlement discussion.
The language tied payment to specific testimony.
The prosecutor sought review for witness interference.
Serena denied authorizing it.
Her recorded jail? She was on monitoring, not jail. Her monitored telephone call to Charles Montigue contained:
“The maid is still the cheapest part of this.”
Charles answered:
“Then pay enough.”
The offer came two days later.
Serena still believed my class determined my price.
I refused.
Then my apartment door was forced open.
Nothing valuable disappeared.
On the kitchen table, someone left Amelia’s sapphire bracelet.
The same object used against Rebecca and me.
A note said:
THIRD WOMAN. SAME LIE.
May you like
The person who entered had access to evidence previously held by police.
Someone inside the investigation had stolen the bracelet.
