Chapter 7: The Hidden Ledger
The morning sun broke through the coastal fog, casting a pale golden light over the grand white lobby of the Sterling estate. Clara was up early, dressed in her new professional attire—a tailored navy blue blazer and matching trousers that Julian's staff had prepared for her. She felt like a different person, no longer hidden behind a uniform and a white ruffle headband.
Julian met her in the dining room, looking sharp in a charcoal gray suit. His breakfast sat untouched as he reviewed several legal documents. "Victoria is still in her room," he said without looking up. "My security team has been monitoring her door. She hasn't left, but she has made several phone calls to offshore numbers."
"We need that ledger before she realizes we are onto her specific location," Clara said, her voice filled with a newfound determination. "While she is still in her room, I can access her private vanity in the guest suite. She has a routine. Every morning at nine, she takes a long bath. The security guard can confirm when she enters the bathroom."
Julian looked up, his brow furrowing. "It's risky, Clara. If she catches you, she will stop at nothing to destroy that evidence."
"I know, but we have to try," Clara insisted, her blue eyes shining with resolve. "For Leo, and for all the others she stole from."
Julian studied her face for a moment, seeing the absolute sincerity in her expression. He nodded slowly. "Very well. But I will be right outside the door. If anything goes wrong, you leave immediately."
At exactly nine o'clock, the security feed confirmed Victoria had entered her en-suite bathroom, the sound of running water echoing through the pipe system. Clara and Julian walked quietly down the hallway of the guest wing. The guard posted outside Victoria's door nodded silently as they approached.
Julian stood watch in the hallway while Clara slipped into the opulent bedroom. The room was decorated in rich velvets and dark woods, smelling strongly of Victoria's expensive lavender perfume.
Clara moved quickly to the vanity table. On it sat the luxury brown leather handbag, but next to it was a small, locked mahogany vanity case. Clara pulled a small bobby pin from her pocket—a trick she had learned as a child when she frequently locked herself out of her family’s old apartment. With a few delicate twists, she heard a satisfying click.
She lifted the lid. Inside, tucked beneath layers of expensive jewelry and designer cosmetics, was a small, black leather-bound ledger. She pulled it out and opened it. The pages were filled with columns of numbers, names of shell companies, and dates that matched the foundation's missing funds perfectly.
"I found it," Clara whispered to herself, her heart racing.
Suddenly, the sound of the running water in the bathroom stopped. Clara’s breath caught in her throat. She heard Victoria's footsteps approaching the bathroom door. She quickly closed the vanity case, locked it, and slipped the black ledger into the inner pocket of her blazer.
May you like
She scrambled toward the main door, her heart pounding furiously against her ribs as she turned the handle and slipped out into the hallway just as Victoria opened the bathroom door behind her.
***
