Chapter 9: The Walls Close In
By morning, the mansion was under a self-imposed lockdown. Daniel had summoned his most trusted legal counsel, a man he had kept on retainer for emergencies that never involved his personal life. They sat in the library, surrounded by the remnants of a family that had never existed. "If this goes public, the stock will drop, the board will revolt, and the vultures will circle," the lawyer warned, his eyes scanning the documents.
Daniel didn't blink. "Let them circle. I'll shoot them out of the sky." He didn't care about the money anymore. He cared about the fact that his daughter—the girl he now knew was the rightful heir to the very land Veronica had stolen—had been suffering under his roof. He looked at the lawyer, his face etched with a newfound, terrifying purpose. "I want every single person involved in the liquidation of Clara’s estate identified."
Meanwhile, Veronica remained in the guest wing, pacing the floor like a caged beast. She had no contact with the outside world, no way to influence the board, and no leverage left. She had played her hand with the arrogance of a queen, never noticing that her opponent had already cleared the table. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, her makeup smeared, and realized that her reign was over.
