Chapter 17 - The Ghost of the VaultThe livestream was already at four hundred thousand concurrent viewers by the time I clicked the link on Sienna’s phone.
A distorted voice, masked by a digital filter, spoke over high-resolution scans of documents I had never seen before.
“The Sterling Empire was built on clean corporate branding, but funded by offshore shadows,” the automated voice droned. “Meet Clara Sterling, the self-proclaimed hero of justice, whose entire foundation rests on stolen regulatory waivers.”
Comments scrolled past at a dizzying speed.
Is this real?
Another Sterling family scandal?
Cancel them all.
“Who else knew about Arthur’s private box?” I demanded, looking up at Sienna.
“Nobody,” Sienna said, pacing the length of my office. “Dad, Arthur, and maybe a handful of old board members who are either dead or senile.”
“Look at the documents on screen,” I pointed at the monitor. “Those aren't random files. That’s compliance data from nineteen-ninety-eight. Someone deliberately curated this to target the trust's core assets.”
“Is it an extortion attempt?” Sienna asked, stopping her frantic pacing.
“It’s worse. It’s an invitation.”
My phone buzzed violently on the desk. An unknown number flashed on the screen. I didn’t hesitate; I swiped to answer and put it on speaker.
“Clara Sterling,” a raspy, unfamiliar voice whispered through the static. “Did you like the preview? The full archive drops in forty-eight hours unless the trust is signed over to new management.”
“Who is this?” I demanded, keeping my voice ice-cold.
“Someone who knows your father’s skeletons aren't buried deep enough. Tell your sister to pack her bags.”
The line went dead.
Sienna sank into a chair, burying her face in her hands. “They’re coming after everything we rebuilt, Clara. All of it.”
“No,” I said, locking my computer screen. “They’re trying to scare us into making a mistake. And we are not going to give them the satisfaction.”
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I picked up the flash drive Arthur Vance had left behind. If there was a bomb ticking inside our family’s history, I wanted to be the one holding the detonator.
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