Chapter 17: The Fall from Grace
Chapter 17: The Fall from Grace
"Follow her," Ethan whispered to the head of estate security.
Upstairs, Eleanor sprinted into her suite, locking the door behind her. Panic consumed her. If the police were at St. Jude's, they would find the paper trail connecting her bribes to the orphanage director. She had to destroy her copies of the illegal adoption papers before the estate was raided.
She pressed her thumb against the biometric lockbox hidden in her closet. It beeped green and popped open. She grabbed the manila envelope, pulling out a lighter.
Suddenly, the suite door burst open. Standing there were two police officers, whom Ethan had strategically stationed at the estate that morning under the guise of "crowd control" for the press. Behind them stood Ethan, Clara, and the entire horrified board of directors.
"Put the envelope down, ma'am," the lead officer demanded, his hand resting on his radio.
Eleanor froze, the lighter inches away from the documents. She looked at the crowd, her face twisting in pure rage. She realized she had been played. Clara’s phone call was a bluff, designed to force her to reveal the exact location of the hidden evidence.
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"You miserable little—" Eleanor snarled, lunging toward Clara.
The officers intercepted her instantly, pinning her arms behind her back. As the manila envelope fell to the floor, the fake birth certificates, the orphanage bribery receipts, and the forged will spilled out for the entire board to see.
