Chapter 4 - The First Night of Warm Milk
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That night, for the first time in nine months, Olivia slept in a bed with clean linen, without the terror of an eviction notice sliding under her door.
Caleb, however, did not sleep.
He sat in his executive library on the top floor, surrounded by four glowing monitors. Sitting across from him was Marcus Cole—Caleb’s chief legal strategist and a former federal economic crimes prosecutor.
Marcus tapped the keyboard, projecting Julian Vance’s financial records onto the wall display.
“The audit trail is sickening, Caleb,” Marcus reported, sliding a thick file across the desk. “Julian Vance didn't just mismanage the funds; he committed outright statutory fraud. He forged Olivia’s signature on the Sarah Vance Testamentary Trust Liquidation Agreement using an offshore shell company registered in Nevis.”
“Where did the money go?” Caleb asked, his voice cold as steel.
“$1.2 million was wired into high-risk offshore derivatives trading accounts,” Marcus explained. “$400,000 went toward the purchase of a luxury sports car and private country club dues. And the remaining $400,000 is currently sitting in an escrow account at First Atlantic Bank, scheduled to be transferred to a Spanish real estate developer tomorrow at 2:00 PM for a private villa purchase.”
Caleb took a slow sip of black coffee. “Julian is preparing to flee the country.”
“His one-way flight to Madrid departs tomorrow evening at 7:45 PM,” Marcus confirmed.
Caleb stood up, walking over to the panoramic window looking out over the sleeping city.
“Marcus,” Caleb commanded softly.
“Yes, Caleb?”
“Execute an emergency petition for an Ex Parte Judicial Freeze on all domestic and foreign accounts linked to Julian Vance. Contact Chief Magistrate Judge Harrison. And notify the Port Authority Police that Julian Vance’s passport is flagged for grand economic fraud.”
“And what about Olivia and the babies?” Marcus asked.
Caleb turned back, looking toward the hallway where a faint nightlight glowed outside the nursery door.
May you like
“From this day forward,” Caleb said with unyielding conviction, “Olivia and those three children are under the permanent protection of the Hart Trust.”
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