Part 3
By the afternoon,
a heavy storm began to roll over the lake,
darkening the sky.
Raindrops started to pelt against the glass windows,
creating a steady,
rhythmic sound.
Detective Laura Mitchell arrived just as the first thunder rumbled,
her coat soaked from the downpour.
Ethan hurried to open the door,
welcoming her into the warm living room.
Lena immediately brought a warm blanket and a fresh cup of tea.
"Thank you,
Lena,"
Laura said,
taking a seat at the table where the documents lay.
She did not waste any time,
pulling out her own notepad and a pen.
"Let me see what this Julian Vance is playing with,"
she muttered.
Ethan pushed the thick yellow envelope toward her,
watching her eyes scan the pages.
As she read,
her expression grew increasingly grim and focused.
"This is worse than I thought,"
Laura said,
pointing to a specific transaction date.
"This transfer happened the exact day Margaret was arrested."
"She knew she was losing the battle here,
so she moved her assets abroad."
"But look at the conditions of the trust,"
Ava pointed out,
leaning forward.
"It says the funds are unlocked only if certain actions are taken."
Laura nodded slowly,
her fingers tracing the legal jargon on the page.
"The conditions require Julian to maintain the Whitmore family legacy."
"In other words,
he is tasked with destroying anything that harms their reputation."
"And right now,
the biggest threat to that reputation is the Lena Hope Initiative,"
Ethan realized.
His face hardened as he thought about the foundation they had just built.
The initiative was designed to help innocent victims of corporate greed and abuse.
If Julian Vance wanted to protect the Whitmore name,
he would start there.
"He is going to target the foundation,"
Lena whispered,
her face turning pale with fear.
"He wants to shut us down before we can help anyone else."
Ethan stood up,
pacing the length of the room with restless energy.
"We will not let him touch it,"
he declared,
his voice echoing in the quiet space.
"That initiative is the only good thing to come out of this tragedy."
"He cannot legally shut it down,"
Laura explained,
trying to calm them.
"But he can use his wealth to tie you up in endless lawsuits."
"He can smear your names in the media,
destroying your credibility."
"We need to find out where he is operating from,"
Ava said,
her voice steady and calm despite the tension.
"If he is a fixer,
he must leave a paper trail somewhere."
Laura closed her folder with a sharp snap,
looking at the brave couple.
"I have my team at the station looking into his recent flights,"
she said.
"But you all need to be extremely careful from now on."
"Julian Vance does not play by the rules,
and he has millions to burn."
As if on cue,
Ethan's cell phone began to vibrate on the table.
The screen displayed an unknown number,
the numbers flashing in the dim light.
Ethan looked at Laura,
who nodded silently,
indicating he should answer it.
He pressed the button and placed the phone on speaker.
"Ethan Whitmore,"
a smooth,
May you like
unfamiliar voice echoed through the room.
"I believe you received a package meant for my eyes."
