CHAPTER 2: MY FATHER'S FINAL GIFT
CHAPTER 2: MY FATHER'S FINAL GIFT
Three days later, Valeria sat across from Marcus in his office.
Stacks of evidence covered the conference table.
Bank records.
Property transfers.
Shell companies.
Secret accounts.
The deeper they dug, the uglier the truth became.
Julian had been stealing from her father's companies for years.
Small amounts at first.
Amounts no one would notice.
Then millions.
He had created fake consulting firms and directed company funds into them.
Marcus slid another document toward her.
"Your father knew."
Valeria stared at him.
"What?"
Marcus nodded.
"He discovered the fraud shortly before his death."
Suddenly everything made sense.
The revised will.
The emergency legal changes.
The hidden protections.
Her father had known Julian couldn't be trusted.
He just hadn't lived long enough to expose him.
Tears filled her eyes.
Not from sadness.
From gratitude.
Even while dying, her father had been protecting her.
Marcus pointed to another file.
"There's more."
Valeria opened it.
Her breath caught.
Julian's debts exceeded twenty million dollars.
Gambling.
Failed investments.
Loans from dangerous people.
Everything Julian had done had been driven by desperation.
He needed access to her inheritance.
Without it, he was bankrupt.
Which explained the forged divorce.
Which explained the fake death.
Which explained Celeste.
Julian wasn't building a new family.
He was hunting a new fortune.
Celeste Harrington wasn't merely wealthy.
She was heir to a real-estate empire worth hundreds of millions.
Valeria finally understood.
Julian had never loved either woman.
He loved opportunity.
Nothing else.
And now his opportunities were disappearing.
Federal investigators were involved.
Forensic accountants were involved.
Criminal charges were being prepared.
The empire of lies was beginning to crumble.
May you like
But Julian wasn't finished fighting.
Not yet.
