Chapter 8 - Chapter 8 - THE MORNING HEADLINES
The morning sun poured through the high windows of the hospital suite, bright and unforgiving. When I woke up at 9:00 AM, my fever had broken, leaving my skin damp but cool. Marcus was sitting in the armchair with a digital tablet in his lap, scrolling through local news feeds with an expression of pure, unadulterated amusement.
"Good morning, counselor," Marcus greeted, turning the screen toward me. "You might want to see the local financial gazette before you touch your coffee."
I took the tablet, scanning the bold headline stretching across the digital front page: SCANDAL IN SOUTH HILL: Prominent Developer Ethan Vance Faces Federal Fraud Charges and Massive Asset Seizure. Below the headline was a paparazzi photograph taken late last night, showing Ethan standing on his porch looking like a shattered ghost while federal bankruptcy officers served him papers, with Patricia screaming in the background.
According to the article, Vance Enterprises had not only defaulted on its commercial loans, but an anonymous whistleblower—presumably an internal auditor tipped off by Marcus weeks ago—had uncovered systematic embezzlement of municipal development funds. The net worth Ethan had boasted about for years was nothing more than a house of cards built on fraudulent valuations and forged titles.
"Social media is having a field day," Marcus added, sliding his phone across the nightstand. "Patricia’s society friends have already deleted her from their group chats, and the country club suspended her membership indefinitely. They are radioactive, Clara. Nobody in this city will touch them with a ten-foot pole."
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"And what about my father's estate?" I asked, taking a sip of warm water. "Is the trust fully secured?"
" Bulletproof," Marcus confirmed proudly. "The title deed is officially registered solely under your maiden name, Clara Vance. The municipal tax assessor updated the records at 8:00 AM. As far as the county is concerned, Ethan Vance and his mother are trespassing squatters who owe back rent."
