Chapter 3 - The Sealed Truth
Sarah pulled into a deserted, fluorescent-lit gas station two miles down the highway. The wiper blades squeaked rhythmically against the glass, clearing streaks of water as she caught her breath. Lily had curled into a ball on the back seat, exhausted from terror, still clutching her bear.
With shaking fingers, Sarah picked up the envelope left on the dashboard. Who could have slipped it into the car? It had to be the person with the camera.
She tore the seal open. Inside lay several photocopied documents and a series of high-resolution photographs. Sarah gasped. The photos didn't just show Bianca living comfortably; they showed her sister sitting at an upscale waterfront restaurant with Arthur, clinking champagne glasses.
Below the photographs was a bank statement revealing large recurring wire transfers from an offshore account into Arthur’s personal company. And attached to the bottom was Bianca’s real will and financial trust, explicitly establishing that their late mother had left a six-figure medical fund solely for Lily’s care.
Arthur and Eleanor weren’t trying to collect Bianca’s rent debt. They were working alongside Bianca to force Sarah into bankruptcy, legally declaring her an unfit guardian so they could seize control of Lily’s trust.
Tears of betrayal welled in Sarah’s eyes, hardening into resolve. But beneath the papers was a burner phone.
Before Sarah could process the shock, the device buzzed violently, vibrating against her knuckles. The screen lit up with an unknown caller.
May you like
Sarah swallowed hard and pressed accept.
“Sarah,” a distorted voice spoke through the speaker. “Arthur just paid the local precinct to flag your car as stolen. You have less than five minutes before they find you.”
