Chapter 5 - The Cloud Server
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The silence in the room returned, twice as heavy as before.
“You’re bluffing,” Jenna said, though her voice quavered as she slowly lowered her own phone. “You didn’t put a camera in the dining room.”
I didn't bother answering her. Instead, I tapped my phone screen twice, raised the device, and turned it so the entire Caldwell family could see the display.
On the screen was a crystal-clear, high-definition video feed. It showed the dining room from a perfect high-angle perspective. On the recording, Nathan was clearly visible picking up the blue folder, marching over to the fireplace, and throwing the deed directly into the flames while his mother watched.
Even better, the audio was crisp. His voice replayed clearly through my phone's speaker: “There. Now let's see what you think you're going to do.”
Margaret looked like she had been slapped. “Nathan… is she telling the truth?”
“It doesn't matter!” Nathan shouted, his composure shattering completely as he lunged forward to grab my phone. “Give me that damn phone!”
I stepped back easily, and two tall men in dark charcoal suits walked through the front entrance of the foyer, their heavy footsteps echoing off the marble floor. They didn't look like police officers, but they possessed an unmistakable air of authority.
Nathan froze mid-stride, staring at the strangers. “Who the hell are you?”
The taller man stepped forward, pulling a silver badge and a laminated ID card from his jacket pocket. “Federal Marshal Service. Mr. Caldwell, we have a warrant to secure this property under the estate trust of Arthur Vance.”
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Margaret gasped. “Arthur Vance? That’s her grandfather! He’s been dead for two years!”
“And his estate,” the marshal replied coldly, “holds a super-priority lien on every asset connected to your firm. Stand back, sir.”
