The Midnight Inheritance: How My Business Partner Framed Me at the Vanderbilt Gala
👉 Previous Decision: You chose to allow Julian to keep the ledger.
Silas Finch stammered, searching for an excuse, but no coherent words formed. He simply turned and hurried away, retreating into the west wing of the mansion, disappearing from sight. The guests, now openly murmuring, watched him go.
Marcus, isolated in the center of the hall, glared at Julian, a vein throbbing in his temple. His usual slick veneer had cracked.
Clara, still by Julian’s side, leaned in close. “My father called you,” she whispered, her breath warm against his ear. “Last night. He said he had concerns about Marcus’s audit reports. He specifically wanted you here, tonight.”
Julian’s mind reeled. Arthur hadn’t merely invited them for security. He had summoned Julian, his integrity a shield against Marcus’s machinations. Arthur had known.
“He trusted you,” Clara added, her gaze fixed on the ledger in Julian’s hand. “More than anyone in this family, it seems.”
The weight of her words settled on Julian. Marcus wouldn’t hesitate to destroy any evidence, any person, that stood in his way. He needed ironclad proof, something no amount of influence or manipulation could unravel.
He glanced at Marcus, who was now engaged in a hushed, intense conversation with Arthur’s sister, Beatrice Vanderbilt, near the grand staircase. Marcus’s gestures were expansive, persuasive.
The mansion’s heavy oak doors remained sealed by the security detail, but Julian knew Marcus had contacts. Corrupt connections were a weapon he used as easily as any blade. Time was critical.
He had to move, to secure whatever information Arthur had tried to protect, before Marcus could completely erase the truth.
Choose your next action
Escort Clara to Arthur’s private study to review the revised family trust documents. — Read Chapter 8 to continue
Shadow Marcus as he slips down into the mansion’s lower vault level. — Read Chapter 9 to continue
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