Chapter 11 - The Final Ledger
Eleanor collapsed against the side of her luxury SUV, gasping for air as her mink coat slipped onto the floor.
Clara snatched the leather duffel bag from her grip, unzipping the main compartment immediately.
Inside sat four red passbooks from a private bank in Zurich, alongside a set of forged adoption papers bearing Lily's name.
Clara's eyes widened as she scanned the top line of the adoption document.
"You were going to send my daughter out of the country?" Clara asked, her voice shaking with absolute horror.
"She is a Sterling!" Eleanor spat out, wiping cold sweat from her forehead. "She belongs to this family, not to a nobody from Ohio!"
Mark burst into the garage, his breathing heavy as he saw his mother cornered against the vehicle.
"Mother... what is that?" Mark asked, staring at the red passbooks in Clara's hands.
"She was planning to sell your daughter's voting rights to an offshore investment firm in London," Clara revealed, throwing the papers at his feet.
Mark picked up the adoption document, his eyes scanning the signatures of his mother and a high-priced custody lawyer from Manhattan.
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"You... you lied to me," Mark whispered, turning to face his mother with sheer, unadulterated shock. "You told me we were protecting Lily's trust!"
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