Chapter 6 - The Unwelcome Guest
The following afternoon, an unannounced guest arrived at the Carrington mansion. Julian Vance, Ethan’s long-time business partner and legal advisor, walked into the main drawing room holding a thick leather briefcase. Julian was a man of quiet demeanor and sharp eyes, someone who had managed the family's private trust since the death of Ethan’s father.
Claire greeted Julian in the foyer, her demeanor entirely transformed back into the gracious lady of the house. She had carefully covered the bruise on her cheek with high-coverage makeup, offering Julian a warm smile as she invited him into the study. However, Julian’s eyes remained detached and analytical as he noted the subtle tension between Ethan and his wife when Ethan entered the room a moment later.
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Julian placed a series of documents on the mahogany desk, explaining that an automated audit of the family’s charitable foundation had flagged several irregular transactions made over the past six months. Millions of dollars had been moved out of the foundation's primary account, routed through a series of shell corporations before disappearing entirely. Julian looked directly at Ethan, pointing out that the authorization codes used for the transfers belonged to Ethan’s late wife, Catherine.
Ethan’s face went pale. Catherine had been dead for three years; her access codes should have been deactivated the day after her funeral. Claire immediately stepped forward, her voice filled with gentle concern as she suggested that perhaps Catherine had set up automated trusts before her death that Ethan had simply forgotten about. But Julian shook his head, revealing that the destination accounts had only been created four months ago.
