The Paper Trail of Betrayal
Chapter 06 - The Paper Trail of Betrayal
By midnight, the lakeside estate was secure. Dr. Reynolds had examined both girls—diagnosing Mia with mild dehydration and Clara with severe fatigue and bruises on her wrists, but confirming both were otherwise safe. After a warm bath and a hearty meal, both girls had fallen into a deep, peaceful sleep in the master bedroom, wrapped in silk blankets.
Downstairs in the dimly lit study, the atmosphere was dark.
Adrian stood by the glass window, holding a crystal glass of whiskey he hadn't touched. Across the room sat Mark, his head of personal security, alongside his chief legal advisor, Arthur.
"We ran a full audit on the offshore accounts Victoria managed over the last three years," Arthur said, placing a thick stack of financial documents onto the mahogany desk. "It’s worse than we thought, Adrian."
Mark stepped forward, throwing a folder of surveillance photographs beside the bank statements. "Victoria didn't just hide your daughters in that northern village, boss. She paid off the local caretakers to keep them malnourished and isolated so they would never have the means or strength to seek you out. She embezzled over two million dollars from your personal trust to fund the operation."
Adrian turned around slowly. His eyes were cold, devoid of any warmth. "And my amnesia after the crash five years ago?"
"We cross-referenced her medical contact logs from the hospital you were admitted to," Arthur revealed quietly. "Victoria bribed your attending neurologist to prolong your memory suppression therapy. She deliberately kept you from remembering your wife, Sarah, and your children until she could lock down the marriage and secure full legal control over the Sterling estate."
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Adrian set his glass down on the table with a sharp, heavy thud. The glass shattered, but he didn't even flinch.
"She wanted my family's wealth, and she was willing to starve my children to get it," Adrian said, his voice dropping into a dangerous whisper. "Destroy her. Strip her family of every contract, file criminal charges for child endangerment, fraud, and medical malpractice. I want Victoria in handcuffs before the sun comes up."
