Chapter 10 - THE TRAP CLOSES
Julian remained in the apartment another eleven minutes.
Long enough to hear everything.
Eleanor had expected the police search to discover the forged transfer documents.
Victoria had planted the necklace because an ordinary theft accusation would justify searching Elena’s room.
Once the documents appeared, the story would shift from jewelry to corporate fraud.
Julian would look manipulated.
Elena would look criminal.
Arthur would look incompetent.
And Eleanor would demand emergency authority over Vance Holdings.
The plan had nearly worked.
Except for one thing.
Arthur’s security cameras had been upgraded two weeks earlier.
Victoria thought the upstairs system was still offline.
When Julian finally stood to leave, Eleanor hugged him.
“Trust me.”
Julian looked into his mother’s eyes.
“I did.”
He walked out before she understood the answer.
Thomas Sterling was waiting inside a black sedan two blocks away.
Arthur sat beside him.
Julian entered.
Neither man spoke.
Julian removed his phone.
He stopped the recording.
Then he handed it to Arthur.
His grandfather listened to the first minute.
His face did not change.
By the fifth minute, his hand was shaking.
Thomas took the phone.
“We need copies immediately.”
Julian stared through the windshield.
“I spent my entire life defending them.”
Arthur said quietly, “They are still your family.”
Julian turned.
“Do not say that like it excuses them.”
Arthur nodded.
“It does not.”
Julian’s voice cracked.
“I lost Elena because I kept telling myself family deserved patience.”
Thomas looked at him.
“You did not lose Elena because of your mother.”
Julian flinched.
Thomas continued.
“You may want to blame Eleanor because that is easier.”
“But Elena did not remove her ring when she discovered the forged documents.”
“She removed it because of what you did before any of us arrived.”
Julian looked away.
Thomas was right.
The hardest truth of the night was still the simplest.
Julian had failed before the crime was exposed.
He had failed when Elena needed one person to believe her without conditions.
Arthur handed Julian a second phone.
“The police need this recording.”
Julian nodded.
Then his own phone rang.
Victoria.
He declined the call.
She called again.
Then a message appeared.
YOU BETTER NOT HAVE BETRAYED US.
Another message followed.
BECAUSE IF YOU DID, I SWEAR I WILL BURN EVERYTHING.
Thomas read it.
“Keep that.”
Julian stared at the words.
“What does she mean by everything?”
Arthur suddenly stood straighter.
“The records room.”
Julian’s blood ran cold.
Vance Holdings kept original historical agreements in a private archive beneath the family office.
Including documents Northstar Meridian might desperately need destroyed.
Arthur grabbed his phone.
May you like
“Call security.”
But nobody answered.
