flash
The screen of my encrypted phone glowed against the dark marble of the pantry, casting a cold blue hue over June’s terrified face. The name at the bottom of the electronic payment voucher wasn’t a low-level clerk’s. It belonged to Marcus Vance—my chief operating officer, my shadow, the man who had managed my corporate portfolio and personal life for over a decade. / Chapter 13 / 20

Chapter 13 - Peoria Roots

To understand how Marcus had built his shadow network, June and I flew down to Peoria in my private jet to meet her ailing mother, Eleanor. The small brick home was modest, filled with vintage medical equipment and framed photographs of Lila and Micah. Eleanor didn't curse Marcus; she simply looked at me with tired, knowing eyes and thanked me for giving her daughter back her dignity. That afternoon, I quietly established a permanent medical endowment to cover her treatments, ensuring her final years would be spent without a single financial worry.

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