Part 5
The forty-eight hour ultimatum hung over the lake house like a dark cloud,
testing their resolve.
Instead of resting,
Ethan and Ava worked through the night with Detective Mitchell.
They set up a temporary command center in the small dining room,
surrounded by files.
Laura had managed to secure Julian Vance's official background file from federal databases.
"He started his career as a corporate defense attorney in New York,"
Laura explained,
pinning a photo to a board.
"He was brilliant,
but he was disbarred ten years ago for manipulating evidence."
"Instead of disappearing,
he went underground and became a private fixer for the elite."
"He helps wealthy families hide assets,
silence whistleblowers,
and erase scandals."
Ethan studied the photograph of Julian Vance,
a man in his late forties with sharp eyes.
He looked calculated,
unemotional,
and completely devoid of any moral compass.
"How did my mother meet him?"
Ethan asked,
rubbing his tired eyes.
"According to these records,
their connection goes back fifteen years,"
Laura revealed,
flipping a page.
"When your father's company was expanding into international markets,
they faced a major bribery scandal."
"Julian Vance was hired secretly by Margaret to make that scandal vanish."
"She did it without your father's knowledge,
using her own family inheritance."
Ava looked up from her computer,
a sudden realization dawning on her face.
"So Margaret trusted him because he successfully hid her secrets before,"
she said.
"Exactly,"
Laura confirmed.
"And when she realized she was going to lose the trial against you,
she called him again."
"She transferred the money to ensure that even if she was behind bars,
her enemies would suffer."
"She wanted to ensure that you and Ethan would never truly enjoy your victory."
Lena entered the room,
holding a laptop open with a shaky hand.
"Ethan,
Ava,
you need to look at this right now,"
she said anxiously.
"The news websites just published an article about the foundation."
Ethan quickly took the laptop,
reading the headline out loud.
"Whitmore Charity Under Investigation for Fraudulent Funding and Money Laundering."
The article claimed that the Lena Hope Initiative was a front for tax evasion.
It used fabricated quotes and manipulated financial statements to paint Ethan as a thief.
"He is starting already,"
Ava whispered,
her hands tightening into fists.
"He did not even wait for the forty-eight hours to expire."
"This is his strategy,"
Laura explained,
her expression hardening.
"He attacks your public image first,
forcing you to defend yourselves instead of fighting back."
"It is a classic smear campaign designed to isolate you from your supporters."
Ethan closed the laptop with a loud slam,
his face set in grim determination.
"Then we change our strategy,"
Ethan stated firmly,
looking at his wife and Lena.
"We are not going to defend ourselves against fake news."
"We are going to go after his money,
the source of his power."
May you like
"If we freeze that offshore trust,
Julian Vance becomes completely powerless."
