Chapter 4: The Empire Unravels
The silence that followed was absolute. It wasn't the silence of confusion; it was the silence of a house of cards hitting the floor.
Mrs. Sterling stared at the screen, her face twisting into a mask of pure, unadulterated rage. She turned to the guests, her voice climbing to a hysterical pitch. "It’s a deepfake! She’s hacked the system! This is an elaborate setup against me!"
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"I don't think so, Helena," a voice called out from the back of the room. It was the family lawyer, who had been witnessing the spectacle. "I’ve been looking into the estate’s missing funds for months. You were desperate for a scapegoat because the auditors were closing in on your secret accounts. Setting up your niece for theft was your way of making her ineligible for her father’s trust, wasn't it?"
The guests began to whisper—not about Maya, but about Helena. The smug expression on the aunt's face had evaporated, replaced by a frantic, trapped animal look. She tried to bolt for the door, but Julian stepped in her path, his hand resting on his radio. "Police are already on their way, ma’am. They were here for the audit. They just caught a little extra on the side."
