Chapter 8 - The Mirror Game
Clara stepped closer to the cruiser window, staring into Julian’s mocking eyes. The rain streamed down her face, washing away the plaster dust and mingling with the dried blood on her lip.
Torres walked over, umbrella in hand, positioning himself between Clara and the prisoner. ""Mrs. Vance, don't engage with him. Step away.""
""Let me speak to him for thirty seconds,"" Clara said, her voice dropping into an icy register Torres hadn't heard before. ""He knows something about the chain of custody.""
Julian tapped his cuffed wrists against the inside door panel, motioning for Torres to roll down the window an inch. Torres hesitated, then lowered the glass just enough for a sliver of air to pass between them.
""You always were too clever for your own good, Clara,"" Julian whispered through the crack, his voice smooth despite his bruised cheek. ""You thought you uncovered my hidden accounts. You thought you set up an ingenious fail-safe with your little transmitter.""
""The ledger was taken from our safe,"" Clara stated evenly. ""And my sister’s apartment is burning.""
""The safe was staged, darling,"" Julian chuckled, a dry, rattling sound. ""The burglar was hired by me three hours ago to break in after the police arrived. Why? Because the real ledger is already sitting in the vault of the District Attorney’s office—with your signature on the authorization documents for the cartel wire transfers.""
Clara’s heart skipped a beat. The web wasn't just designed to intimidate her; it was constructed to frame her as the primary architect of the entire financial empire.
""You forged my signature on the power of attorney,"" she realized aloud, horror creeping up her throat.
May you like
""Forged? No. You signed it last Christmas when you authorized the trust for our hypothetical children,"" Julian sneered. ""Check your phone, Clara. The DA just unsealed the indictment. They aren't holding me for assault. They're holding you for grand treason.""
At that moment, two unmarked black sedans screeched to a halt around the perimeter tape.
