Chapter 6 - The Arrival
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"Attorney?" Uncle Raymond scoffed from his position near the window. "We don't need lawyers to sort through a few empty folders, Elena. What kind of sick game are you playing here?"
"She hid the money!" Marcus suddenly screamed, jumping up from the floor and pointing wildly at me. "She must have opened the safe while Dad was in the hospital and stolen the cash! That’s a federal crime, Elena! I’ll have you thrown in prison for the rest of your pathetic life!"
"I haven't stolen anything," I replied, standing my ground as he aggressively advanced on me.
From the open doorway leading to the grand hallway, a deep, incredibly calm voice cut through the rising hysteria.
"I can assure you, Marcus, Elena has not committed any crimes."
Everyone in the study whipped their heads around. Standing in the doorway was Samuel Price, my father’s fiercely loyal, highly respected corporate attorney. He was an older man with silver hair, a perfectly tailored gray suit, and a demeanor that commanded absolute, unquestioning authority.
But Samuel was not alone.
Standing immediately behind him were two stern-looking men in conservative dark suits, each holding a thick leather briefcase. They did not look like relatives, and they certainly did not look like mourners. They looked like professional predators.
Marcus stopped in his tracks, his angry, flushed face suddenly draining of all color. He swallowed hard.
"Samuel," Marcus stammered, desperately trying to regain his confident swagger. "What are you doing here? This is a private family matter."
"Your father’s estate is no longer a private family matter, Marcus," Samuel said, stepping fully into the study. He gestured to the two men behind him. "Allow me to introduce Mr. Vance and Mr. Sterling. They are senior forensic investigators representing your father’s primary banking institutions."
Vanessa’s smug, diamond-clad smile instantly vanished. She took a slow, nervous step backward, suddenly trying to make herself look very small near the fireplace.
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For the very first time that entire day, Marcus looked at me not as the weak, submissive sister he could easily frighten with a sudden punch, but as the dangerous, silent witness he should have deeply feared from the very beginning.
Dad had warned me during his lucid moments that absolute greed would eventually make arrogant people incredibly careless. He had strictly warned me not to reveal what I knew until Marcus had confidently trapped himself in a room full of witnesses. Now, standing tall with my father's blood drying on my chin, I finally understood why profound patience had been Dad’s ultimate, final lesson.
