Chapter 6 - The Trap Begins to Close
Monday morning arrived with a gray, unforgiving sky.
Gabriel woke up at six, cooked a hot breakfast for Lucas, and drove him directly to school. For months, Lucas had walked through those double doors with his shoulders hunched and his head down, waiting for the next cruel prank or public humiliation orchestrated by Wyatt. Today, Gabriel walked right beside him, his massive frame a shield against the world.
As they entered the main office, Principal Henderson looked up from his desk, visibly surprised to see Gabriel instead of Candice.
"Mr. Lawson," Principal Henderson said, rising to shake his hand. "We haven't seen you here in quite some time. Candice usually handles Lucas's academic affairs."
"That ends today," Gabriel said, taking a seat opposite the administrator. "I want Lucas's emergency contacts updated immediately. Remove Candice, her sister Rita, and her mother Evelyn from all official records. I am his sole legal guardian."
Henderson blinked, flustered. "Mr. Lawson, while I understand family dynamics can be complex, there have been several incidents reported regarding Lucas's behavior. In fact, Rita filed a complaint last week claiming Lucas stole money from her son, Wyatt, on school grounds."
Lucas stiffened beside his father, but Gabriel merely smiled—a cold, calculated expression.
"Is that so?" Gabriel pulled a thumb drive from his pocket and set it on the desk. "Principal Henderson, on that drive are high-resolution timestamps of the school parking lot from last Tuesday. While Wyatt was telling teachers my son stole from him, Wyatt was actually cornering Lucas behind the cafeteria, taking his lunch money, and slapping him across the face."
Henderson’s face went pale as he looked at the drive, then up at Gabriel.
"Furthermore," Gabriel continued, his voice steady as iron, "my private legal team has already requested the full attendance and disciplinary logs for both boys. If I discover that this administration assisted in covering up the systemic harassment of my son to protect Rita’s family, my attorneys will name you personally in a civil rights lawsuit."
Henderson swallowed hard. "I... I will look into this immediately, Mr. Lawson. Wyatt will be called to the guidance office before first period."
"You do that," Gabriel said, standing up. He placed a hand on Lucas’s shoulder. "Go to class, son. Keep your head up. Nobody touches you here."
Lucas nodded, a faint spark of pride lighting up his eyes for the first time in a year.
May you like
Outside, Gabriel sat in his truck and opened an encrypted messaging app. A text from Marcus Vance flashed on the screen:
“We found the paper trail on Arthur Vance’s estate in Chicago. You need to see this. Meet me at the office.”
