Chapter 7 - The Unencrypted Truth
By dawn, the storm had passed, leaving behind a crisp, sunny morning over the estate.
Police cruisers, state investigator vans, and federal agents filled the long circular driveway. The main mansion was taped off as a major crime scene, but Victor had moved Lily and Ethan to his private penthouse in downtown Chicago for security.
Inside the glass-walled conference room of Vance Global Headquarters, Victor sat alongside his personal cyber-forensic team and Detective Miller, the head of the federal task force.
The encrypted USB drive taken from Victoria’s floor safe was plugged into a isolated military-grade laptop.
"We've bypassed the tertiary encryption layers, Mr. Vance," the lead technician reported, typing rapidly. "Your late wife was remarkably intelligent. She didn't just record audio; she kept a complete ledger of fraudulent transactions."
A series of financial spreadsheets popped up on the large wall monitor. Millions of dollars—transferred systematically from Ethan’s inheritance fund into shell corporations in Panama and Zurich.
"Look at the signing authority on these documents," Detective Miller noted, leaning forward and pointing a laser pen at the screen. "Every single transaction required two master digital signatures."
Victor stared at the screen.
Signature One: SERENA R. CROWNE.
Signature Two: ARTHUR G. VANCE.
"Arthur..." Victor said, his voice dropping into a deadly whisper. "He was draining my son's trust fund to finance his illegal real estate acquisitions in Eastern Europe."
"It gets worse, Mr. Vance," the technician added, opening a audio file dated four days before Victoria’s fatal crash.
He hit play.
The voice of Arthur Vance filled the quiet room—cold, calculating, and ruthless:
"Victoria is asking too many questions about the Swiss account audits. She’s meeting with federal prosecutors next Friday. Handle it, Serena. Make it look like a complication from her pregnancy. If that child is born with full legal rights to the estate, Victor will lock us out of the board permanently."
Serena’s recorded voice replied smoothly: "Don't worry, Arthur. The doctor I bribed increased her digitalis dosage today. She won't make it to Friday."
Victor stood up so fast his leather chair crashed backward onto the floor. The fury in his face was so terrifying that even Detective Miller stepped back.
"Where is Arthur right now?" Victor asked quietly.
"He boarded a private charter flight to Geneva three hours ago, Mr. Vance," Miller replied, checking his tablet. "He knows Serena failed. He’s trying to liquidate the Swiss accounts before we can freeze them."
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Victor pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed his head of private security.
"Prep the Gulfstream," Victor ordered coldly into the receiver. "We are flying to Switzerland."
