Chapter 6: The Secret in the Manila Folder
"You think Julian is the mastermind here?" Clara shrieked, her voice losing its polished composure entirely as she thrust the bulging manila folder toward Marcus’s chest. The gold satin slip dress swayed violently around her trembling legs. "He’s just a puppet! Look at the dates on these incorporation papers! I own fifty-one percent of the shell company that holds your overseas subsidiaries!"
Marcus didn't even flinch. He didn't take the folder. Instead, he signaled the second security guard, who smoothly stepped in and snatched the papers from Clara’s grip before she could drop them.
Elena stepped closer to her brother, her eyes narrowing as she studied Clara’s frantic expression. "You’ve been embezzling from Vance Holdings since before Julian and I even met, haven't you, Clara? You used Julian to get closer to the family trust."
"I used everyone!" Clara laughed hysterically, tears of rage springing to her eyes as she realized her game was completely up. "Your father cut my family out of the original shipping merger twenty years ago! We were supposed to own half of this estate! I was just taking back what belonged to my grandfather by right!"
"Your grandfather gambled his shares away in a poker game in 1984," Marcus stated flatly, his voice devoid of any sympathy. He turned his head slightly to the security guard holding the files. "Run these through legal compliance immediately. Flag every asset tied to the Clara Vance-Smith trust."
"Right away, Mr. Vance," the guard replied, turning on his heel and walking briskly toward the home office at the end of the corridor.
Julian, who was halfway down the hall in the grip of the first guard, stopped struggling and turned his head back in shock. He stared at Clara with wide, hollow eyes. "You... you lied to me about your family history too? You told me your family was cheated out of the company!"
"Shut up, Julian! You’re as stupid as you look!" Clara snarled, her mask of sophistication completely shredded. She pointed a manicured finger at Elena’s swollen belly. "And that child won't even inherit a dime once the courts invalidate your marriage for fraud!"
Elena flinched, a sharp spike of pain shooting through her lower back. She instinctively pressed both hands against her stomach, her breath catching in her throat. The stress of the confrontation was beginning to take a physical toll, and the subtle, rhythmic tightening of her abdomen sent a wave of alarm through her system.
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Marcus noticed the sudden change in his sister’s posture. His demeanor shifted instantly from cold corporate avenger to protective brother. He dropped the icy facade, wrapping a steadying arm around Elena’s shoulders.
"El? What is it? Is it the baby?" Marcus asked, his voice laced with sudden urgency.
