The morning sun was bright, but the mood was pitch black.
Three police cruisers were parked at the bottom of the driveway.
A black SUV with tinted windows sat behind them. Julian was leaning against the hood, checking his watch. He looked like a man waiting for a pizza delivery, not his son.
The CPS worker stood by the intercom.
"Mr. St. Yves? Mr. Adrian? It is 9:00 AM. Please open the gate and surrender the child."
Inside the house, Sacha was sitting on the sofa, wearing his backpack. He was clutching the blue robot—not out of love anymore, but out of fear.
"Do I have to go?" he whispered.
Adrian crouched down. "Not yet, Boss. The show isn't over."
Scene: The Driveway.
The heavy iron gates groaned and began to slide open.
Julian smirked. "Finally."
But it wasn't a surrender.
Bastian and Anaïs walked out.
They weren't holding Sacha. They were holding microphones.
