Chapter 10 - The Shadow Above

The rain continued to pour outside as news of Victoria's full confession broke across global news networks.

By morning, Victoria was locked in a maximum-security holding facility without bail.

However, the war was far from over.

Inside the grand parlor of the Sterling Manor, Lady Eleanor sat calmly sipping black tea.

Her high-powered legal team flanked her on both sides.

Julian walked in, followed by Detective Vance and Chloe.

"You can leave your badge at the door, Detective," Eleanor said without looking up.

"My legal team has already filed injunctions against every piece of evidence gathered at the sanatorium."

"It was obtained through illegal trespassing and forced coercion."

Julian threw a thick paper dossier onto the tea table, knocking over Eleanor’s teacup.

"The evidence from the sanatorium isn't the only thing we have, Mother," Julian said coldly.

Eleanor slowly wiped her hand with a silk napkin.

"What nonsense is this?" she asked coldly.

"That dossier contains twenty years of audit records from your personal charitable foundation," Julian revealed.

"Victoria didn't act alone when she embezzled company money."

"She was laundering it directly into your private accounts in the Cayman Islands."

Eleanor’s calm facade cracked for the first time.

Her eyes flicked nervously toward her head lawyer.

"You knew Victoria was poisoning Clara," Julian said, his voice trembling with deep hurt and betrayal.

"You knew it, and you let it happen because Clara discovered your financial fraud!"

"That is a lie!" Eleanor stood up, her voice screeching.

"I built this empire!"

"I won't let a grieving widow and a low-class maid destroy thirty years of work!"

Detective Vance stepped forward and pulled out a fresh warrant signed by a federal judge.

"Lady Eleanor Sterling, you are under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, wire fraud, and grand larceny," Vance announced cleanly.

The lawyers beside Eleanor quietly stepped away, leaving her standing alone in the center of the vast room.

"Julian... you wouldn't do this to your own mother," Eleanor gasped, her voice suddenly trembling.

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Julian looked at her with cold, lifeless eyes.

"You ceased being my mother the moment you helped the woman who tried to burn my child."