Chapter 7 - The Secret Asset
I looked up from my cup, sensing the tension in Harrison's voice. "What is it, Mr. Harrison?"
"During our forensic audit of Sterling Enterprises' records to finalize the asset seizure, our financial team discovered something unusual," Harrison explained, opening a thick leather binder. "It appears Dominic’s father, Richard Sterling, foresaw the downfall of the company months ago. He secretly funneled over fifteen million dollars out of the corporate accounts."
I frowned. "Where did the money go?"
"Into a offshore trust fund registered under your name, Vivienne."
I froze. "My name?"
"Yes," Harrison nodded. "Richard Sterling knew that if the company went under, creditors would wipe him out. So he used your identity—leveraging your social security number and forged signatures—to set up a shell company in the Cayman Islands. He moved the stolen funds there, intending to framed you for corporate embezzlement if the tax authorities ever investigated."
The sheer evil of it made my blood run cold. They hadn't just insulted me and mocked me as "cheap trash"—they had actively built a trap to send me to federal prison while using my name as a financial shield.
"Does Dominic know about this?" I asked.
"Dominic was the one who signed as the secondary witness on the offshore documents," Harrison revealed. "He knew everything, Vivienne. His entire meek, quiet persona over the last three years was a front. He married you because his father targeted you as a scapegoat, assuming your lack of vocal family background meant no one would ever fight back for you."
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A bitter laugh escaped my lips. They thought I was an easy target, an orphan with no background, perfect to take the fall for their multi-million-dollar fraud.
"Harrison," I said, my tone turning as cold as ice. "Call the Federal Investigation Division. And tell my father to cancel all remaining leniency measures. It's time to bring down the hammer."
