Chapter 10 - The Cassette in the Deck
Ethan reached into the safe and picked up one of the cassette tapes labeled DECEMBER 2000 - VERMONT CLINIC.
He walked over to an old vintage tape deck resting on a shelf, inserted the cassette, and pressed PLAY.
The tape hissed with static for a few seconds before a familiar, deep voice filled the small boathouse office—their late father, Richard Sterling.
“If you are listening to this, it means Clara has made her move,” Richard’s recorded voice said, sounding tired and worn. “Clara knew about Emma from the day she was born. She threatened to expose the affair and ruin the company unless I gave Julian a seat on the executive board. I agreed to her demands for twenty years to keep Emma safe...”
The recording paused, static crackling over the speaker before Richard continued:
“...But Clara is not working alone. She has an accomplice inside the firm—someone who has been systematically draining our offshore accounts since 2018. Someone who wears the Sterling name, but carries no Sterling blood.”
Sophia and Emma exchanged a look of pure shock.
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“Carries no Sterling blood?” Ethan repeated, his brow furrowing as he stepped closer to the speaker.
“Julian is not my nephew,” Richard’s voice revealed cold and clear on the tape. “Clara adopted him illegally from a private facility in Eastern Europe after her own child was stillborn, using him as a proxy to secure her line of inheritance. Julian knows the truth. And he will kill anyone who threatens his standing in this family.”
