Chapter 2 - The Sister's UltimatumWithin an hour, the penthouse was swarming with private security and legal counsel. Victoria Vance, David’s sharp-witted older sister and the executive director of the family’s estate, paced the length of the minimalist living room, her heels clicking rhythmically against the hardwood. She held Sarah's recovered journal in one hand and a thick manila folder in the other.
"She’s gone," Victoria said flatly, stopping in front of David, who sat rigidly on the sofa, holding Lily as the little girl finally drifted off to a restless sleep. "Our security team tracked her digital footprints. She’s already liquidated three offshore accounts tied to your subsidiary holdings and is attempting to flee across state lines."
David stared blankly at the floor. "I brought a stranger into my home, Victoria. I let her near my daughter. If Lily hadn't found that hidden compartment behind the pantry..." He couldn't finish the sentence. The guilt was a physical weight crushing his chest.
"Stop beating yourself up, David," Victoria said, softening her tone slightly as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Chloe is a professional con artist. We ran a deep background check once I looked closely at her corporate references. Her real name isn’t Chloe Adams; it’s Chloe Vance—no relation, just an alias—and she has a string of identity fraud convictions spanning three states."
Victoria flipped open the manila folder, revealing copies of bank transfers, forged medical signatures, and text messages sent between Chloe and an unknown third party.
"More importantly," Victoria continued, her voice dropping to a serious murmur, "this journal isn't just about personal betrayal. Sarah discovered that Chloe was embezzling from the family charity foundation before she died. That’s why Sarah’s brakes failed on that mountain road two years ago. It wasn't an accident, David. It was sabotage."
The blood drained entirely from David’s face. The room seemed to tilt sideways. "Sabotage? You're saying..."
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"I'm saying your first wife was murdered to cover up a financial crime, and the woman you invited into her place was her killer's accomplice," Victoria stated ruthlessly. "And we are going to nail her to the wall before dawn."
Unknown to them both, as Victoria outlined the trap they were setting to catch Chloe at the private airstrip upstate, Lily stirred in David’s arms. The little girl opened her eyes, looking up at her father with a quiet wisdom beyond her years, whispering, "Daddy, don't let her hurt us anymore."
