Chapter 11 - The Standoff in the Foyer
Richard Sterling stopped dead in his tracks just over the threshold. His tailored grey suit was immaculate, but his face was slick with sweat under the harsh glare of the foyer lights. He stared at Sarah as if he were looking at a ghost stepping out of a nightmare.
"You..." Sterling stammered, his arrogant swagger evaporating in a fraction of a second. "The coroner's report... the fire... you're supposed to be dead!"
Sarah did not blink. She stood completely still, her hands resting loosely at her sides, her faded blue jeans and simple green shirt standing in stark contrast to the expensive tailoring of the man before her.
"Coroners can be bribed, Sterling, and cabins can be rebuilt," Sarah said, her voice low, steady, and cuttingly clear. "Just like corporate ledgers can be audited and fraudulent deeds can be shredded."
Sterling’s face flushed a deep, mottled crimson. He quickly recovered his composure, casting a nervous glance back at his two armed private security guards who lingered in the open doorway behind him.
"You don't understand how the real world works, little girl," Sterling sneered, taking a menacing step forward. "Linda and Julian might have been stupid enough to leave a paper trail, but my assets are spread across six different offshore shell corporations that your little country lawyer can't touch. Sign the quitclaim release right now, or we'll ensure this entire estate burns to the ground—with everyone inside it."
Before Sarah could reply, the heavy mahogany doors of the study swung open behind her, and Eleanor Oakridge stepped out into the foyer, leaning heavily on her ebony cane. Her posture was rigidly straight, and her piercing blue eyes locked onto Sterling like a pair of loaded pistols.
"You'll burn nothing, you miserable thief," Eleanor snapped, her voice cracking the silence of the foyer with absolute authority. "I built this estate brick by brick before your grandfather was even old enough to shave, and no corporate parasite from Macau is going to dictate terms in my house."
May you like
Sterling laughed nervously, though his eyes darted toward the empty driveway outside where he expected federal backup to appear at any second. "You're living in the past, Eleanor. The c
[... đã cắt bớt, xem bản đầy đủ trong tệp trên máy ...]
