Chapter 4: The House of Cards
The silence in the room became deafening. The fireplace hissed, the only sound in a house that was suddenly, terrifyingly, not theirs.
Vanessa’s hand went to her throat. She looked at Arthur, who was suddenly sitting straighter, his eyes clearing as the fog of his isolation lifted. He was looking at his daughter with a pride that made Julian recoil.
"You… you plotted this?" Vanessa whispered, her face pale. "You’ve been waiting?"
"I’ve been working," Elise countered. "I’ve been working to build a life, and I’ve been working to track every single cent you embezzled from the trust. I have the receipts, Vanessa. I have the offshore transfers. I have the proof of how you kept Dad sedated."
Julian stepped forward, his arrogance now replaced by raw, frantic fear. "You can't prove that! We have lawyers!"
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"Your lawyers stopped taking your calls ten minutes ago," Elise said. She reached into her bag and pulled out her phone, showing the screen. "I just forwarded the entire package to the District Attorney. The audit begins tomorrow morning. And given the amount of theft from the trust, I suspect the bail hearing will be very, very expensive."
Arthur finally spoke. His voice was raspy but commanding. "Leave the key, Vanessa. Put it on the table."
