Chapter 11 - The Uncle’s UltimatumHarrison Vance recoiled slightly under Matthew’s overwhelming aura, but quickly recovered his arrogant swagger, adjusting his Italian silk tie with trembling fingers.
“Mr. Carter, I am well aware of who you are,” Harrison scoffed, turning his attention back to Emily. “And you should know better than to ally yourself with a corporate vulture. Emily, your father left a secondary codicil in his will—a codicil that stipulates if the primary heir is deemed mentally or emotionally unfit to manage the conglomerate, management automatically reverts to the senior male blood relative.”
He pulled a yellowed, slightly creased document from his briefcase and slammed it onto the glass table.
Arthur Sterling adjusted his glasses, leaned over the paper, and began reading with lightning-fast speed. After thirty seconds, the senior attorney looked up, his expression grim.
“It’s authentic,” Arthur muttered quietly. “Signed by your father three months before his fatal car crash. It’s an antiquated family trust clause, but legally binding under state probate law unless contested by a unanimous board vote.”
Diane’s laughter seemed to echo from the grave. Even from a prison cell, her allies were finding ways to claw back control.
Harrison broke into a triumphant, ugly grin. “That's right! So pack up your little files, niece, and hand over the keys. You’re stepping down today, or I’ll drag you through a messy, public guardianship battle that will destroy what’s left of your father’s precious reputation.”
Emily stared at the yellowed paper. Her father’s signature—firm, slanted, unmistakable. Why had he signed such a bizarre, medieval clause?
Matthew stepped up beside her, placing a heavy, grounding hand on her shoulder. He looked down at Harrison with a cold, humorless smile.
“You assume, Mr. Vance, that we haven't already reviewed every single scrap of paper bearing your late brother’s signature,” Matthew said smoothly. He reached into his own breast pocket, pulling out a sleek digital tablet and tapping the screen twice. “Arthur, play file 8-Beta.”
The wall-mounted smart television instantly flickered to life.
The video displayed a high-definition recording dated four years prior inside a Zurich bank vault. On screen, a younger Harrison Vance sat across from a Swiss notary, signing a notarized document surrendering all future claims to the Vance family estate in exchange for a lump-sum cash buyout of five million dollars—funded directly by Diane Vance.
Harrison’s face turned the color of chalk. His jaw dropped open.
May you like
“That... that was destroyed!” Harrison stammered, lunging forward to grab the tablet.
Matthew casually slipped the tablet into his pocket, out of reach. “Nothing is ever truly destroyed, Harrison. Especially not when my cyber-intelligence division has a standing order to audit every relative who ever shared DNA with Emily.”
Related Stories
