Chapter 12 - The Unwelcome ArrivalThe peaceful domestic bubble popped precisely at 3:15 PM.
The heavy security gates at the front of the estate buzzed aggressively. Through the security monitor at the front desk, Thomas watched as a sleek black town car pulled up to the main entrance, disgorging a tall, sharp-featured man in an expensive navy suit.
Julian Vance.
Thomas’s jaw clenched instantly. Julian was not just any corporate lawyer; he was Arthur Sterling’s personal legal shark, a man notorious for exploiting legal loopholes, aggressive asset seizure, and dirty boardroom tactics.
"Stay here with Lucas," Thomas instructed Clara quietly, his eyes turning cold and sharp.
Thomas walked out to the grand foyer just as the butler opened the heavy front door. Julian stepped inside, uninvited, brushing a speck of dust off his immaculate sleeve with a smug grin.
"Thomas, old man," Julian purred, his voice slick as oil. "I see you're enjoying your little domestic paradise while the house of cards burns down around you."
"You are trespassing, Julian," Thomas said, his voice dropping into a dangerous, glacial register. "And considering your association with Arthur Sterling, the federal marshals would probably love to know you're wandering around my property."
Julian chuckled, pulling a thick manila folder from under his arm. "Save the threats for the courtroom, Thomas. I'm not here on Arthur's behalf. I'm here representing the actual legal holders of this estate's underlying deeds."
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Thomas narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"
"Read it," Julian said, tossing the manila folder onto the mahogany foyer table. "Turns out, three weeks before Emily died, a significant portion of this estate's primary land titles and trust funds were legally transferred into a separate subsidiary shell company. And guess who holds controlling shares of that company now?" Julian smiled triumphantly. "Victoria Sterling. And by extension, her legal counsel—me."
