Chapter 13 - Siege on the West Wing
In the immediate aftermath of the raid on Greystone Manor, federal investigators uncovered a hidden wing in the estate's subterranean level—a sophisticated operation center that Richard Vance had used to monitor his illegal global operations.
Special Agent Jenkins stood alongside Daniel and Marcus Vance as FBI computer forensics technicians worked to bypass the firewalls on three massive military-grade servers.
"This isn't just about Greystone Manor," Agent Jenkins stated, pointing at a dynamic map loading on the main screen. "Richard Vance was running an international shell corporation that laundered money for pharmaceutical cartels and illegal medical research facilities across North America."
Daniel stared at the detailed financial ledgers appearing on the screen. "Look at those wire transfers," he said, pointing to a series of recurring multi-million dollar transactions. "They stretch back eight years. He was systematically embezzling funds from Sterling Global to fund Cedar Crest Sanatorium and three other unregistered psychiatric facilities in Indiana and Ohio."
Marcus shook his head in disgust. "He used the company as a shield. Whenever anyone got too close to discovering his embezzlement, he eliminated them—or had them committed under false identities."
"Like Emily," Daniel whispered, his blood boiling anew at the sheer cold-blooded calculation.
Suddenly, a technician raised his hand. "Agent Jenkins! I've bypassed the primary encryption on Richard's personal cloud archive. We have the original audio recordings from November 12, 2020—the night of Emily's crash."
"Play it," Jenkins commanded.
The speakers clicked, and a grainy audio recording began to play. The voice was unmistakably Richard Vance's:
*"Make sure the brake lines are sliced cleanly,"* Richard's recorded voice said to Victor Vance. *"When she goes over the overpass, it must look like a tragic accident caused by black ice. Vanessa will handle the hospital transfer once Pendelton signs the brain-death declaration."*
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Daniel closed his eyes, his chest aching as the full horror of the conspiracy hit him. Emily had never stood a chance that night. She had been targeted not because of a sudden fit of jealousy from Vanessa, but because she had discovered a discrepancy in Richard's real estate audit weeks before their wedding.
"This tape alone guarantees life sentences for everyone involved," Agent Jenkins declared, authorizing the immediate seal of the evidence file. "Richard Vance's reign over Sterling Global is permanently finished."
