Chapter 5 - Uncovering the Fraud
Christmas morning dawned bright and cold over Chicago.
While the city slept beneath a blanket of white snow, the forty-story Sterling Tower was humming with secret activity.
By 8:00 AM, Arthur Vance—Vance’s chief legal officer—walked into the penthouse carrying three heavy leather binders.
"Merry Christmas, Vance," Arthur said, setting the binders on the dining table. He looked exhausted, but his eyes were sharp. "You were right to make me dig."
Vance walked over, pouring a cup of dark coffee. "What did you find?"
"Gregory has been systematically doctoring insurance claims at Apex for the last fourteen months," Arthur revealed, opening the first binder. "He created a shell firm in Delaware. Whenever an employee was killed or severely injured on duty, Gregory's team used legal loopholes to deny the family's claim, then routed the allocated corporate insurance payouts directly into his shell company."
Vance’s jaw clenched so hard a muscle twitched in his cheek. "How much?"
"Over four million dollars," Arthur said. "Including David Bennett’s policy. The company set aside five hundred thousand dollars for his family after his death. Gregory intercepted the check, forged the rejection letters to Clare, and kept the money."
Vance slammed his hand onto the table, making the coffee cups rattle. "That bastard."
In the guest room down the hall, Clare stepped out into the corridor, holding Lily in her arms. She had heard the commotion and stood nervously near the entryway.
Vance looked up, seeing her. The anger in his face instantly dissolved into calm authority as he walked over to her.
"Clare," Vance said, his voice quiet and reassuring. "David didn't leave you with nothing. You were robbed."
Clare froze. "What?"
"Your husband had a half-million-dollar life insurance policy with my company," Vance explained, stepping close to her. "My uncle stole it from you. He is the reason you were evicted. He is the reason you were in that alley last night."
Clare dropped into a dining chair, her strength leaving her legs. She clutched Lily to her chest, her mind spinning as the reality of the deception washed over her.
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"Why?" she sobbed softly. "Why would someone do that to us?"
"Because he thought no one would ever look," Vance said, his dark eyes burning with cold fury. "He thought a grieving widow with two babies wouldn't have the resources to fight back. But he was wrong."
