Chapter 3
The sound of state police sirens began to echo faintly from the long driveway leading up to the resort.
Richard panicked, turning to his guards with desperate eyes.
“Apprehend her! She’s trespassing on corporate property!” Richard screamed, pointing at me.
Neither guard moved an inch; both men raised their hands in a gesture of absolute neutrality.
“We work for Grand Haven Security LLC, Mr. Vance,” the lead guard stated clearly.
“And our contract is signed by Founder Amelia Sterling.”
Richard let out a strangled, pathetic sound, realizing his authority had completely evaporated in seconds.
The penthouse doors unlocked from the outside, and Marcus walked in, flanked by four uniformed state troopers.
“Amelia,” Marcus acknowledged, bowing his head slightly. “The perimeter is totally secure.”
“Place Mr. Vance in the secondary holding office downstairs,” I commanded, pointing at my cousin.
“And confiscate his personal phone, his laptop, and his private vehicle keys immediately.”
“You can’t do this to me! I’m family!” Richard shrieked as two troopers grabbed his arms.
“Family doesn't poison tea, Richard,” I said, turning my back on him as he was dragged down the hall.
Marcus stepped up to the desk, placing a sleek black tablet in front of me.
“Vanessa is currently locked in the ground-floor VIP lounge, Amelia,” Marcus reported.
“She’s calling her father’s legal team in Manhattan every two minutes.”
“Let her call them,” I said, opening the tablet’s security monitoring software.
“Her father, Senator Sterling, is the one who authorized the offshore banking permits in Nassau.”
Marcus frowned, looking at the live security feeds flashing across the screen.
“So this wasn't just a corporate takeover?” Marcus asked.
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“No,” I said, zooming in on a specific vessel docked near our private marina.
“This was a state-level land grab. And my resort was just the laundering front.”
