Marcus opened the titanium evidence case, withdrawing an unsealed, yellowed parchment document bearing the raised crimson wax seal of the Supreme Court of Florida and the probate court of Miami-Dade County:

“In 2018, three weeks before Emilio Vazquez suffered his fatal stroke, he discovered that his private shipping accounts in Panama had been siphoned by his corporate logistics director: Diego’s father, Arthur Vance.”

“To protect his granddaughter from being disinherited by the Vance family, Emilio created The Sovereign Vazquez Codicil.”

Marcus read the certified probate mandate with surgical precision:

“`

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THE EMILIO VAZQUEZ TESTAMENTARY COVENANT // EXCERPT

ARTICLE IX: THE HEIR RESTITUTION CLAUSE
“I HEREBY DIRECT THAT MY ENTIRE SIXTY-FOUR-MILLION-DOLLAR ESTATE,
INCLUDING ALL COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE TITLES, OFFSHORE MARITIME
HOLDINGS, AND PATENT ROYALTIES, SHALL REMAIN IN BLIND FIDUCIARY
ESCROW UNTIL SUCH TIME AS MY GRANDDAUGHTER, LAURA MENDOZA, DELIVERS
A LIVING BIOLOGICAL CHILD BORN OF HER BODY.

UPON THE CONFIRMED BIRTH OF SAID CHILD, ALL ASSETS SHALL TRANSFER
IMMEDIATELY, IRREVOCABLY, AND SOLELY TO LAURA MENDOZA AND HER HEIRS.