Chapter 3 - The Broken Trust
Julian’s grip tightened until his knuckles turned ivory. Arthur Vance had been Clara’s family lawyer for over twenty years. He was the man who had drafted the original trust, the man who had sworn at Clara’s funeral to guard her children’s inheritance with his life. If Arthur was in league with Victoria, the corruption reached far deeper than petty jealousy.
""Marcus,"" Julian answered the call, his voice deadly calm. ""Where are they now?""
""Vance took the briefcase into his private law office on 4th Avenue,"" Marcus reported over the crackling line. ""Victoria took a town car heading toward the Grand Regency Hotel. She knows the estate is locked down. Should we detain Vance?""
""No,"" Julian ordered. ""Do not spook him. Put two surveillance units on his building. Monitor every outgoing wire and data transfer. I want to know who authored the documents in that briefcase before sunrise.""
Julian hung up and walked into Lily’s bedroom. The faint nightlight shaped like a crescent moon cast soft indigo patterns across the ceiling. Lily was finally asleep, clutching a worn teddy bear that Clara had sewn by hand. Her small, rhythmic breathing calmed the tempest in his chest, but seeing the purple marks on her wrist reignited an unyielding determination.
Leo stood in the doorway, wearing his flannel pajamas. He looked up at his father with an expression that carried too much weight for an eleven-year-old.
""Is it Uncle Arthur?"" Leo asked quietly.
Julian paused, astonished by the boy's sharp intuition. ""Why would you ask that, son?""
""Because last month, Uncle Arthur came over when you were in Zurich,"" Leo explained, stepping closer into the hallway. ""He and Victoria were arguing in the library. Victoria told him she was running out of time with the creditors, and Uncle Arthur said if they forged Clara’s secondary codicil, they’d both go to federal prison. But then Victoria laughed and said, 'Not if Clara's kids are declared mentally unstable after their mother's loss.'""
A cold shiver raced down Julian's spine. Victoria had not merely slapped Lily out of frustration tonight. She had intentionally orchestrated a violent scene in front of dozens of high-society witnesses to make Lily look like an uncontrollable, delinquent child—laying the groundwork to declare her unfit and gain control of the trust.
Suddenly, the landline on Julian’s desk rang shrilly through the silent penthouse. Julian moved swiftly to answer it.
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""Julian,"" a trembling, panic-laced voice came through the speaker. It was Arthur Vance. ""You have to listen to me. Victoria... she isn't acting alone. I was forced into this. You need to look at the offshore accounts before—""
A loud crash echoed through the receiver, followed by the sound of shattered glass and a sickening thud. Then, the line went dead.
