Chapter 16 - The Unseen Syndicate
Three months passed, bringing colorful autumn leaves across the sprawling estate grounds in Greenwich.
Leo was thriving in his first grade class at a top local school, his laughter filling the once-silent mansion every evening.
Maria had brought her younger brother, Carlos, to live in the guest house while he studied computer engineering at UConn.
Richard had successfully reorganized Vance Enterprises, dedicating thirty percent of profits to pediatric trauma foundations.
Everything seemed peaceful, but beneath the surface, dark waters were still stirring.
In a federal courthouse in Hartford, trial preparations for Eleanor Vance were reaching their final, explosive stage.
Special Agent Jenkins drove to the Greenwich estate late on a Tuesday evening, her face solemn.
Richard invited her into his home office, where a warm fire crackled in the stone fireplace.
Maria brought in a tray of fresh coffee, sensing the serious mood in the room.
"What did the grand jury find, Sarah?" Richard asked, pouring three cups.
"Eleanor isn't talking, but her financial records revealed transfers to a secret syndicate based in Chicago," Jenkins reported.
"The syndicate is called the Sterling Group, run by your estranged uncle, Victor Sterling."
Richard's cup froze halfway to his lips.
"Victor? He was exiled from the family business fifteen years ago after a fraud scandal," Richard recalled.
"He's back, Richard," Jenkins warned, laying out surveillance photos on the desk.
"He's been funding Eleanor's legal team, and he just bought up twenty percent of Vance Enterprises debt on the private market."
Maria looked at the photographs of Victor Sterling, a sharp-featured man with ruthless gray eyes.
"He wants revenge on Richard for taking control of the family estate," Maria realized intuitively.
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"Exactly," Jenkins nodded. "And he knows the fastest way to break Richard is to target this house again."
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