Chapter 12
Amy froze, her heart skipping a beat as the heavy pounding on the wooden screen door continued. Marcus’s expression instantly hardened; he stepped away from the kitchen counter and moved swiftly toward the hallway, positioning himself between the front entrance and the rocking chair.
"Stay back, Amy," Marcus instructed in a low, firm tone.
He pulled the inner wooden door open, revealing a sharp-faced man in a tailored gray suit holding a leather briefcase. The man’s silver hair was slicked back, and his eyes darted nervously around the modest living room before locking onto Marcus.
"Are you Marcus Vance?" the man asked, flashing a gold- embossed identification badge. "I’m Arthur Sterling, former senior counsel for Sterling Enterprises."
Marcus didn't move an inch from the threshold. "You have no jurisdiction here, Arthur. This property is protected under Judge Harrison’s emergency injunction. Step off the porch before I call the local sheriff."
"I’m not here representing Julian," Arthur said quickly, holding up both hands in a gesture of surrender. "Julian was remanded without bail twenty minutes ago. The federal prosecutors have seized every personal asset he possessed. I’m here on my own accord."
Amy stood up slowly from the rocking chair, pulling her shawl tighter around her shoulders as she walked toward the hallway. "What could you possibly want with me, Arthur? You spent three years helping Julian bury the evidence of his crimes."
Arthur stepped slightly backward, his professional composure cracking under the weight of genuine desperation. "Miss Vance—Amy—I need your testimony. The federal grand jury is expanding their indictment to include Victoria and Beatrice. They orchestrated the forged document transfers and systematic embezzlement from the pension reserves long before Julian even took the helm."
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Marcus crossed his arms, staring skeptically at the lawyer. "And why should Amy help the people who tried to destroy her?"
"Because if you don't," Arthur lowered his voice, glancing nervously down the quiet coastal road, "Victoria has already liquidated the last remaining off-shore contingency fund. She’s preparing to board a private charter flight to Zurich tonight. Once she leaves the country, the evidence linking her to the financial ruin of your family will vanish forever."
