Chapter 9
Marcus didn't flinch under Victoria’s piercing gaze. He unlatched the briefcase, pulling out a thick sheaf of legal notices and setting them neatly beside Beatrice’s coffee cup.
"I was the senior compliance officer assigned to audit the Sterling family trust three years ago," Marcus said evenly, his voice carrying the calm authority of a seasoned investigator. "Before Julian had me quietly reassigned to a remote branch office in Seattle to cover up his initial embezzlement scheme."
Victoria’s posture stiffened. "You’re the whistleblower from the 2021 audit. Julian told us you took a payoff and resigned."
"Julian lies to everyone, including himself," Marcus replied, a faint, bitter smile touching his lips. "He thought buying my silence with a fabricated non-disclosure agreement would protect him. He didn't count on me keeping copies of every single ledger in a secure vault offsite."
"And Amy?" Beatrice asked, her voice dropping to a fragile whisper. "Was she just part of your little revenge plot from the beginning?"
"Amy was an innocent bystander who fell in love with a monster because she refused to see the pedigree behind the charm," Marcus said, his tone softening with genuine empathy. "When she finally figured out what Julian was doing—using her family’s legacy as collateral for his high-risk market speculations—she came to me. Not to plot revenge, but to find a way out before her child was born into this toxic web."
"She’s destroying generations of work for a momentary impulse," Victoria hissed, stepping closer to the desk. "You have no idea what it took to build this empire."
"I know exactly what it took," Marcus countered sharply, his eyes locking onto hers. "It took exploitation, intimidation, and the systematic destruction of anyone who stood in your way. But those days are over. The federal grand jury has already issued indictments for both Julian and the primary corporate beneficiaries."
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"Julian is being held at the precinct," Beatrice said, her voice shaking despite her best efforts to maintain her aristocratic composure. "You can't lock him away without a proper hearing."
"He’s not just being held for questioning anymore," Marcus replied, pulling a final document from his folder and laying it face up on the glass. "The federal marshals picked him up ten minutes ago on charges of financial fraud, witness intimidation, and conspiracy. His bail has been denied."
