Chapter 10
Leaving the hospital, Helen drove directly to the downtown office of Miller & Vance Legal Partners—specifically to the private suite of Marcus Vance, Arthur’s estranged brother and a corporate restructuring attorney who had never trusted Julian’s expansion projects. The downtown streets were largely deserted at this hour, save for a few security guards smoking outside glass-fronted towers. Marcus’s office on the fourteenth floor was dark except for a single green-shaded desk lamp casting a warm glow over stacks of legal briefs and leather-bound ledgers. Marcus looked up from his computer screen as his assistant let Helen into the private office, his expression a mix of surprise and professional gravity.
"Helen. It’s nearly midnight. What brings you downtown?" Marcus asked, standing up to gesture toward a plush leather armchair opposite his desk. He was a younger, sharper version of Arthur, wearing a tailored charcoal suit with no tie. Helen sat down, placing her leather handbag neatly in her lap. She didn't waste time with pleasantries. "Arthur came to our house tonight, Marcus. He told me about the Nevada land deals, the offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands, and the fact that my signature was used as the primary guarantor for Julian’s corporate liabilities." Marcus winced slightly, sitting back down slowly in his executive chair. He didn't look surprised.
"I suspected as much, Helen," Marcus said quietly, lacing his fingers together on the desk. "We’ve been auditing Julian’s subsidiary accounts for three weeks. The federal investigators are preparing indictments for wire fraud and environmental endangerment. If you’re tied as a legal guarantor on those titles, you could face asset seizure and potential criminal charges." Helen felt a cold chill run down her spine, but her voice remained steady. "I want to file for immediate legal separation, and I want to sign an affidavit swearing I had no knowledge of the fraud. What do I need to do to protect my personal trust and my sister’s medical account?"
