Chapter 8 - The Fallen Heir
""Why are you here, Marcus?"" Ethan demanded, his guard still raised high. ""You disappeared a decade ago. Why now?""
Marcus looked at the leather notebook lying open on the desk. ""Because Eleanor did the exact same thing to my wife ten years ago.""
A chill raced down Ethan's spine. ""What?""
""You were told your Aunt Sarah died in a tragic car accident,"" Marcus said, his voice laced with bitter ice. ""She was pregnant, Ethan. Eleanor found out that the child would inherit a controlling trust established by your grandfather—a trust that automatically bypassed Eleanor if an heir was born to either me or your father.""
Ethan stared at his uncle, the monstrous scale of Eleanor’s ambition finally baring its teeth. ""The Vance Trust. Clara’s pregnancy... it activates the grandfather's clause.""
""Precisely,"" Marcus said, stepping toward the door and peering through the peephole into the hallway. ""If that child survives, Eleanor loses her seat as CEO of Vance Industries. She loses the power of attorney over the family billions. She didn't push Clara out of malice; she pushed her to destroy the legal vessel of the inheritance.""
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A dull thump sounded from the stairwell outside. Marcus immediately reached under his coat, pulling a silenced semi-automatic pistol from a shoulder holster.
""They're here,"" Marcus whispered, cocking the slide back with a muted click. ""Take that notebook and Clara's test results. We leave through the fire escape now, or you never see your son alive again.""
