Chapter 9 - The Lawyer’s Entry
Elias Thorne walked into the room with a dignity that silenced everyone.
He wasn't carrying a briefcase;
he was carrying a single,
leather-bound folder.
He looked at the investors,
then at Gavin,
with a gaze that could have stripped paint.
"Who the hell are you?"
Gavin demanded,
standing up so quickly his chair hit the wall.
"I am the executor of the Loretta Vance Trust,"
Elias said,
his voice resonating in the quiet room.
"And I am here to inform you that this meeting is an act of fraud."
He opened his folder and took out a document.
"This is a DNA-verified living trust,"
"registered with the state three years ago."
"It stipulates that the Apex property cannot be sold,"
"transferred,"
"or used as collateral,"
"unless Samantha Vance provides a blood-verified signature in the presence of a court-appointed official."
He looked at the forged deed on the table.
"This document you have here,"
"is a felony."
The investors stood up,
their faces turning pale.
"We were told the title was clear,"
one of them said,
looking at Gavin with disgust.
"We don't deal with criminals."
"Wait!"
Gavin shouted,
his voice cracking.
"There must be some mistake!"
"The notary verified it!"
"Arthur Pendergast is currently being questioned by the District Attorney,"
Elias noted calmly.
"He’s already admitted to taking a fifty-thousand-dollar bribe from your mother, Harriet."
The room went silent.
Harriet sank back into her chair,
her hands shaking so hard she had to hide them under the table.
The investors began to pack their things,
moving with a speed that spoke of deep legal fear.
"The deal is dead,"
the lead investor said.
"And we will be filing a report regarding this attempted fraud."
They walked out,
leaving the room smelling of failure.
Gavin looked at me,
his face a mask of desperation.
"Samantha,"
"we can fix this."
"It was all for us,"
"for our future."
"No,"
I said,
leaning over the table.
"It was for you."
May you like
"And now,"
"you're going to see the document I found in the storage room."
