Chapter 11 - The Shadow from the Cell
The heavy steel doors of the federal women’s correctional facility in Illinois buzzed open with a harsh mechanical screech. In visiting room four, Camille Laurent sat behind the thick plexiglass partition, her manicured luxury replaced by a drab khaki uniform and sunken, vindictive eyes.
Across from her sat Lucian Moreau, her French aristocratic cousin and managing director of a notorious offshore private equity firm.
“Eleanor Sterling took the brunt of the criminal charges,” Lucian said through the phone receiver, his voice devoid of emotion. “The SEC confiscated the domestic accounts, but the Alpine accounts in Liechtenstein remain untouched under our family blind trust.”
Camille gripped the plastic receiver until her knuckles turned ghostly white. “I don’t care about the money, Lucian. I care about Nora Vance standing on stage with that child, parading her victory while I rot in this cage.”
“The child changes everything,” Lucian replied smoothly. “The original Vance family charter contains a bloodline succession clause. If Nora is incapacitated or proven unfit through public scandal, the corporate custody of the heir defaults to the nearest registered international equity partner—which is our firm.”
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A sinister smile slowly spread across Camille’s face. “Nora thinks she won the war when she took down Julian’s weak little dynasty. She doesn’t realize she only cleared the board for the real players.”
“Everything is in motion,” Lucian murmured, standing up and smoothing his tailored Italian coat. “By the time the Chicago social season reaches its peak, Vance Enterprises will fall—and Nora will give up that child willingly to save her own skin.”
