Chapter 21 - The Forgery
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Marcus handed me a clear plastic evidence bag containing a single sheet of paper. It looked old, slightly yellowed at the edges, and bore the official letterhead of my late father’s old accounting firm.
"What is this?" I asked, examining the document through the plastic.
"It purports to be a signed promissory note," Evelyn, my lead attorney, said as she walked into the office right behind Marcus. "According to this document, you allegedly borrowed three million dollars from your mother's private estate twelve years ago, with the stipulation that it must be paid back to Julian upon her death."
I stared at the paper, a bark of disbelieving laughter escaping my chest.
"This is completely absurd," I said. "My mother didn't have three million dollars twelve years ago. They were drowning in debt. And I never signed anything."
"We know that, Arthur," Evelyn smiled, a shark-like glint in her eye. "Julian forged your signature. And he didn't do a very good job of it. Furthermore, he attached a cover letter stating that if you wire five million dollars to his offshore account by Friday, he will destroy the original note and drop all future claims."
"Extortion and forgery," Marcus noted grimly.
"Exactly," Evelyn confirmed. "He realized the public smear campaign failed, so he panicked and escalated to a federal felony. He crossed the line from being a public nuisance to an active criminal."
I placed the evidence bag gently on the desk. Julian had always been arrogant, but I never realized he was this foolish. He was so blinded by his entitlement that he believed he could outmaneuver a billionaire's legal team with a fake piece of paper.
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"What is our next move, Evelyn?" I asked, my voice cold and precise.
"We set a trap," Evelyn replied smoothly. "We agree to a meeting to 'discuss the terms' of his payment. And when he shows up with the original forged document to extort you, the authorities will be waiting."
