Chapter 2 - Shadows of the Foundation
(Word count target: ~1500 words)
The heated leather interior of the sedan felt like a different world compared to the bitter wind outside. Maya sat stiffly on the edge of the seat, her hands folded tightly in her lap as if she expected to be thrown out at any second. Sophie sat right beside her, refusing to let go of her arm.
"Drive us home, Marcus," I instructed my driver, keeping my eyes fixed on the rearview mirror. "And call my senior counsel, Arthur Vance. Tell him to meet us at the house immediately."
Maya stiffened at the name. "Arthur Vance? The corporate attorney?"
"He's your uncle, isn't he?" I asked gently.
Maya let out a bitter, quiet laugh. "He was my father's brother. But after my dad died, Arthur signed over all our family assets to Croft Enterprises. He told me he was protecting us, but then he disappeared. I haven't seen him in two years."
A cold knot formed in my gut. Arthur Vance was not just a lawyer; he was the head of auditing for my own venture capital firm, Harrison Global. He had personally guaranteed the accounting records when my late wife, Sarah, transferred her family assets into the trust before her death.
When we arrived at my penthouse in Gold Coast, I led the girls inside. I instructed my housekeeper to bring warm food, dry clothes, and blankets for Maya. While Sophie proudly dragged Maya to the study to show her the rest of her school textbooks, I stepped into my private office and locked the double oak doors.
I pulled open my personal safe and withdrew Sarah’s confidential estate ledger.
For two years, I had been too consumed by grief to audit the fine details of Sarah's trust. I had trusted Richard Croft because he was her family, and Arthur Vance because he was an old friend. But looking at the expulsion document Maya had given me, the math didn't add up.
Why would a Dean go to such extreme lengths to drive a teenage girl onto the street?
A sharp knock at the door broke my concentration.
Arthur Vance walked in, carrying a heavy leather briefcase. He was a man in his late fifties with slicked-back gray hair and a sharp tailored suit, but today, his usual calm demeanor looked fractured.
"Daniel," Arthur said quickly, shutting the door behind him. "Marcus said you found Julian's daughter? Where is she?"
"She's in the kitchen eating her first hot meal in three days, Arthur," I said, leaning against my desk and crossing my arms. "Care to explain why Julian Vance's daughter was living on a curb outside Saint Jude's?"
Arthur's face paled. He set his briefcase down on a leather chair and rubbed his temples with trembling fingers. "Daniel, you don't understand what Richard Croft is capable of. If Croft knows she’s here—"
"I don't give a damn about Croft!" I slammed my hand on the mahogany desk, making the crystal decanters rattle. "Croft is using my late wife's school to commit fraud! He altered the scholarship trust records, didn't he?"
Arthur sank into the chair, looking suddenly ten years older. "It wasn't just the scholarship trust, Daniel. Julian found out before he died. Sarah’s death... it wasn't an accident."
The air left my lungs completely. The room seemed to spin.
"What did you just say?" I whispered, stepping closer to him.
"Sarah didn't die of a sudden brain aneurysm," Arthur confessed, his voice breaking into a whisper. "She discovered that Richard Croft had embezzled fifty million dollars from Harrison Global through Saint Jude's non-profit accounts. When she threatened to go to the SEC, she had a sudden 'medical emergency' in her office. The doctor who signed her death certificate was on Croft’s payroll."
I grabbed Arthur by his lapels, pulling him out of the chair. "And you kept quiet? You let him destroy your own brother's family and cover up my wife's murder?!"
"He threatened Maya!" Arthur cried out, tears filling his eyes. "He told me if I said a word, he would ruin Julian’s reputation posthumously and make sure Maya ended up in the foster system or worse! I tried to hide Julian’s research in the scholarship trust files, hoping Maya would be old enough to claim it when she turned eighteen!"
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"Where are those files now?" I demanded, releasing him.
"Inside the main vault at Saint Jude's Academy," Arthur breathed. "And tonight, Richard Croft is hosting the annual Founder's Gala at the school. He's planning to dissolve the Vance Trust entirely and burn the paper archives tomorrow morning."
