Chapter 5 - THE UNCLE’S SNARE
The morning sun broke through the grey clouds over Chicago, casting long, sharp shadows through the floor-to-ceiling glass of the Sterling Enterprises executive penthouse.
I sat at the head of the boardroom table. My suit was fresh, my hair immaculate, but behind my eyes lay a cold, lethal focus. Across from me sat Arthur Sterling—my brother. He was sipping espresso, looking relaxed, wearing a bespoke Italian suit that cost more than a family car.
“Richard, brother!” Arthur smiled warmly, putting his cup down. “I heard about the chaotic night at the manor. Truly horrific about Eleanor. The whole board is in shock! To think she was drugging little Maya... it’s monstrous. I’ve already contacted our legal team to make sure she gets the maximum sentence.”
He played the concerned brother flawlessly. His voice was laced with smooth, practiced sympathy.
“Thank you, Arthur,” I said quietly, leaning back in my chair. “It’s been a nightmare. But Maya is safe in a private pediatric facility under 24-hour armed guard.”
“Good, good,” Arthur said, nodding thoughtfully. “Now... as Vice-Chairman, I think it’s critical we manage the public relations aspect of this immediately. The stock market is volatile. If the media finds out about the murder investigation regarding Sarah... Sterling Enterprises could lose billions in market cap within hours.”
“And what do you propose, Arthur?” I asked softly.
Arthur slid a thick stack of legal documents across the polished glass table toward me.
“Temporary transfer of executive authority,” Arthur said, his eyes glinting with a sharp, ravenous hunger that he could no longer completely hide. “Step down as CEO for ninety days. Take Maya to a private estate in Barbados. Heal. Let me take the wheel and handle the press, the police, and the board. When the dust settles, you can come back.”
I looked down at the document. It wasn't a temporary transfer. Tucked into clause 14B was an irrevocable proxy right that would allow Arthur to dilute my shares, strip me of my voting power, and liquidate the company’s core assets into an offshore entity registered in Zurich.
The exact same offshore entity that had funded Dr. Julian Mercer’s clinic.
“You always were the ambitious one, Arthur,” I said, not touching the pen. “Remember when we were kids, and father gave us that classic car to restore? You sold the original engine on the black market and blamed it on the neighborhood garage workers.”
Arthur’s smile faltered slightly. His eyes narrowed. “Richard, what does childhood have to do with saving this company?”
“Because your patterns never change,” I replied coldly.
I hit a button on the intercom on the table. “Marcus, bring him in.”
The heavy mahogany doors opened, and two federal marshals walked into the boardroom, escorting Dr. Julian Mercer. Mercer was wearing a orange prison jumpsuit, his hands cuffed at his waist. He looked completely broken, his eyes sunken, his skin pale.
Arthur froze. The espresso glass in his hand began to tremble.
“Dr. Mercer,” I said, standing up and towering over the table. “Tell my brother what you told the Federal Prosecutor two hours ago.”
Mercer didn't look Arthur in the eye. He kept his head down and spoke in a monotone voice. “Arthur Sterling approached me four years ago. He offered me $5 million and a 10% stake in his Swiss holding company to replace Sarah Sterling’s cancer treatments with toxic thallium compounds. He provided the medical supplies himself. Eleanor Vance was hired by Arthur to marry Richard, monitor his movements, and eventually... eliminate the heir, Maya Sterling, through gradual poison so Arthur would inherit the entire corporate fortune.”
The boardroom was dead silent.
Arthur’s face turned from pale white to a deep, blotchy red. He slowly pushed his chair back and stood up, dropping all pretense of brotherly love.
“You traitorous bastard!” Arthur shrieked at Mercer, before glaring at me with pure hatred. “You think you’re so smart, don't you, Richard?! Father favored you! He gave you the CEO chair while I got the scraps! Sarah was going to convince you to turn the company into a charity! I built this empire just as much as you did!”
“You didn't build anything, Arthur,” I said, my voice cutting through his rage like a steel blade. “You leech off the blood of people who actually create value. And now, you’re going to spend the rest of your pathetic life in a federal penitentiary.”
“You have no proof!” Arthur sneered, pulling out his cell phone. “A disgraced doctor’s testimony means nothing in court! My lawyers will rip this apart before noon!”
“Check your phone, Arthur,” I said calmly.
Arthur looked down at his screen. Notifications were flashing across the display at a blinding speed.
F.B.I. SEIZES SWISS ACCOUNTS OF ARTHUR STERLING. STERLING ENTERPRISES BOARD VOTES UNANIMOUSLY TO STRIP ARTHUR STERLING OF ALL ASSETS. ARREST WARRANT ISSUED FOR FIRST-DEGREE CONSPIRACY TO MURDER.
Arthur’s phone slipped from his trembling hands and hit the carpet with a soft thud.
“It’s over, brother,” I whispered.
May you like
The marshals stepped forward, grabbing Arthur by the arms and forcing his hands behind his back. As they dragged him toward the door, Arthur turned, screaming furiously.
“You haven't won, Richard! Eleanor isn't going to let you live! She has an failsafe! Do you hear me?! A FAILSAFE!”
