CHAPTER 14: THE STERLING PRODIGY
CHAPTER 14: THE STERLING PRODIGY
The confrontation occurred sooner than we expected. That evening, a sleek black limousine pulled up to the curb outside the foundation. A young man stepped out. Early 30s. Sharp tailored grey suit. Dark hair precisely combed. He carried himself with the same terrifying elegance as Arthur, but his eyes were different. They were completely devoid of emotion. Clinical. Cold. He walked into the lobby, uninvited, his leather shoes clicking against the hardwood. Two large men in dark suits stood by the glass entrance doors. "Evelyn. Hannah," Christian Sterling said, offering a polite, chilling nod. "Your foundation is doing beautiful work for these children." "It would be a tragedy if an accidental electrical fire destroyed it." Hannah stepped in front of me, her posture rigid. "The funds have been reversed, Christian. We don't want your money." Christian chuckled, a dry, humorless sound that echoed off the high ceilings. "The money was just an introduction." "I want my mother’s diary. And the encryption ledger." "Our mother's diary belongs to us," I said, my voice steady despite the adrenaline surging through my veins. Christian took a slow step forward, his eyes locking onto mine. "Your mother died protecting a husband who didn't deserve her, and a son who sold her out." "Don't make the same mistake for a sister who spent twenty years in the dark." He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I know about the grandfather’s clock in your father's old study." "I know that's where the rhythm lives." "I will give you until midnight tomorrow." "Bring the decrypted drive to the North Pier warehouse." "If you are a single second late..." "I will let the world see the forged documents that connect your father to the cartel's original murders." "Your family's redemption story ends tomorrow night." "One way or another."
