Chapter 10
The horrifying truth of Laura's complicity hung in the air, a toxic cloud that finally shattered whatever remaining illusion of family there was. Victor, seemingly unaffected by the emotional devastation, used the toe of his expensive leather shoe to kick the scattered legal documents across the concrete floor toward me.
"She’s just being dramatic," Victor scoffed, pointing at the papers with the crowbar. "It’s a simple business transaction that she’s too immature to understand."
I looked down at the documents. I knew exactly what this was about. Emily’s grandfather—my father—had left her a prime piece of real estate in his will. It was twelve acres of undeveloped land situated right next to a planned, but unannounced, interstate extension. Victor, with his inside connections in the investment world, had undoubtedly caught wind of the zoning plans.
Victor believed the land, currently appraised as rural property, was worth around two million dollars. But I knew the real numbers. He had secretly found a massive commercial developer willing to pay nearly nine million for the parcel once the interstate exit was confirmed.
But there was a catch. The trust was ironclad. Only Emily could authorize the sale, and Victor needed her signature on that power of attorney before the zoning announcement hit the public record and the property value skyrocketed.
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"You’re going to convince her to sign those papers, Daniel," Victor said, his voice dropping into a dangerous, commanding register. "You're going to explain the reality of the situation to her. She signs, and then everyone walks away from this. We call it a misunderstanding, and you go back to fixing alarm systems."
He smiled, entirely confident in his extortion. He thought he held all the cards. He thought he was the smartest man in the room.
