Chapter 7: The Sterling Audits
Chapter 7: The Sterling Audits
Within twenty minutes, the grand mansion lobby was filled with the flashing blue and red lights of the Boston Police Department and a forensic medical team. Victoria had been placed on a comfortable stretcher, wrapped in a warm wool blanket, while a doctor verified with a portable monitor that the babies' heartbeats were perfectly stable and unaffected by the trauma.
Julian stood near the base of the spiral staircase, holding the rolled-up thick white legal document he had retrieved from the marble floor. He didn't look at his sister as she was led down the stairs.
"Mr. Sterling," Detective Miller said, stepping forward with a digital notepad. "Your sister claims it was an architectural accident. She says your wife lost her balance near the old iron fixtures while they were discussing family matters."
"My sister is a thief and an attempted murderer, Detective," Julian said, his voice entirely flat, cold, and professional. He handed the thick document directly to the officer. "Inside this folder, you will find twelve years of unauthorized liquidity transfers from the Sterling Global Trust, signed by Charlotte using forged corporate power-of-attorney forms. She leaked our project data to frame my wife, and when Victoria confronted her with the audit, she pushed her over that railing."
Charlotte was led down the grand spiral staircase in heavy steel handcuffs, her crisp white shirt rumpled, her neat low bun falling apart as the officers guided her past the sparkling chandeliers. She looked at Julian, her eyes wide with a frantic, desperate pleading that had no dignity left.
"Julian, please! We're blood! We're the Sterling family! You can't let them take me out like this in front of the neighbors! Think of the company stock!"
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Julian didn't even look in her direction as she was escorted past his shoulder. "You stopped being my family the second you threatened my wife and child, Charlotte," he whispered to the empty air. "Take her away."
The heavy oak front doors slammed shut behind her, leaving the grand lobby in a quiet, clean silence. The rot had been cut out, and the true accounting of the Sterling family was finally about to begin.
