Chapter 3: The Businessman’s Verdict
Marcus Sterling was a man who didn't deal in rumors; he dealt in leverage. He stood over the shattered perfume display, his gaze fixed on Julianna.
"You buried an empty box, Julianna," Marcus said, his voice quiet but carrying the force of a falling anvil. "And you’ve been spending the inheritance of a man who was very much alive."
The mall went dead silent. The shoppers, who moments ago were worried about a spilled display, were now standing in the middle of a corporate assassination.
"Arthur Vance didn't die in a car accident," Marcus continued, pacing slowly around Julianna. "He went into hiding because he found the papers showing you were laundering company assets through the accounts of his own daughter. He didn't abandon her; he was protecting her from you."
Julianna’s legs buckled. She clutched the marble counter for support, her vision blurring. "He’s dead! The investigation… the police reports…"
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"The police reports were signed by your brother, the commissioner," Marcus said, pulling a digital tablet from his jacket. "And the death certificate was filed by your private attorney. But the man himself? He’s been waiting for the right moment to come home."
Marcus looked down at the cloth doll in Mia’s hand. "The doll isn't just a toy, Julianna. It’s a key. The inner lining contains a micro-encryption device—a digital signature of Arthur’s true estate holdings, the one that renders your entire 'widow's claim' null and void."
