Chapter 19 - The Voice Across the Water
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I looked at the flashing screen of my phone.
The rain outside my kitchen window lashed violently against the glass, the ocean waves crashing far below the cliffside.
My heart hammered against my ribs, but my fingers were steady as I picked up the phone, swiped the screen, and pressed it to my ear.
I didn't say hello. I waited in absolute silence.
On the other end of the line, a long, quiet pause stretched out over the static of a satellite connection.
Then, a low, smooth, aged male voice spoke into the receiver—a voice that carried no accent, no warmth, and no hesitation.
“Hello, Claire,” the voice said softly. “You always were far more intelligent than the boy I chose for you.”
A cold shiver ran straight down my spine, turning my blood to ice.
“Marcus,” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the hum of the kitchen refrigerator.
A low, gentle chuckle echoed over the line.
“Your grandfather built a very deep foundation, my dear,” Marcus Sterling said, his tone entirely conversational. “Evan and his foolish parents were merely aggressive maintenance workers. They thought they were stealing from you, not realizing they were stepping on a tripwire I set twenty years ago.”
“What do you want?” I demanded, my hand tightening around the phone until my knuckles turned white. “Evan is in prison. The company is mine. The assets are locked.”
“The company was never meant to be a trucking business, Claire,” Marcus replied softly. “It was meant to be a vault. And now that you’ve cleaned out the roaches, it is finally ready for its true purpose.”
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“I will call the federal agents right now,” I threatened, my voice rising. “They will trace this call. They will seize every Zurich account.”
“They already know, Claire,” Marcus said gently. “Who do you think leaked the forensic audit files to James Holloway twelve days after your leg was broken?”
