Chapter 3 - SHADOWS OF THE STERLING ESTATE
The rain lashed against the tall French windows of the Sterling mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Inside the private study, Julian sat behind his late father's mahogany desk, staring at the dark oval pendant.
Sarah sat across from him in a leather armchair, nursing a hot cup of black tea.
"My mother disappeared off the radar three months before the official crash date," Julian said, his mind racing.
"She was brought to the estate's cellar quarters under strict security," Sarah explained, setting her tea cup down.
"Why would my father lock his own wife away?" Julian demanded, leaning forward over the desk.
"Because she discovered the offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands," Sarah revealed quietly.
Camille slammed open the double doors of the study, flanked by two private estate security guards.
"I’ve called the local police, Julian!" Camille announced coldly, pointing a manicured finger at Sarah. "She’s a trespasser and a thief."
"Stand down, guards," Julian commanded, his voice authority itself.
May you like
"You can't protect her, Julian!" Camille sneered, her eyes glittering with unhinged fury. "She's trying to destroy our family's legacy!"
"If what she says is true, Camille, our legacy was built on a crime," Julian replied, standing up.
