Chapter 3 - The Fractured Lineage
By Thursday, Jessica was awake, though her voice remained a fragile whisper. She sat up in her hospital bed, staring at the window. When I walked in, she grabbed my hand, her grip surprisingly strong.
"Dad," she whispered. "She told me she has people everywhere. She told me if I ever said a word, the baby would never exist."
"She isn't 'everyone,' Jess," I said, kissing her forehead. "She’s just one person, and she’s just made a fatal error. She underestimated the people who love you."
I showed her a tablet. On the screen was the bank statement of the Sterling family's private offshore account. I had tracked millions of dollars in embezzled funds from the local municipal projects—money that was supposed to go to city infrastructure but had instead gone to Carolyn’s personal investments.
She wasn't just a bigot; she was a thief. And thieves are terrified of being audited.
May you like
"What do we do?" she asked.
"We don't scream," I said, quoting my father. "We provide proof."
