Chapter 6 - The Trust Fund
Ethan stared at Marcus in absolute betrayal as the fire raged around them.
The man who had managed his family's legal affairs for a decade was a traitor.
Marcus dropped the gas can and pulled a small revolver from his waistband.
He aimed the gun at Ethan and apologized, claiming he had absolutely no choice.
Marcus explained that the syndicate had threatened to murder his entire family.
Ethan realized the conspiracy extended far beyond his own household.
He demanded to know what documents Marcus was trying to destroy.
Marcus laughed bitterly and pointed toward a metal fireproof filing cabinet.
He revealed that Clara had secretly set up an irrevocable trust fund for Sophie.
The trust contained over fifty million dollars and was designed to bypass Ethan entirely.
If Sophie disappeared or died, the money would legally default to her stepmother.
Celeste and Richard had orchestrated this entire nightmare purely for the money.
Marcus cocked the hammer of his revolver and prepared to pull the trigger.
Suddenly, the building's automated fire suppression system activated.
High-pressure water blasted from the ceiling sprinklers, momentarily blinding Marcus.
Ethan lunged forward and tackled the corrupt lawyer to the wet carpet.
He punched Marcus squarely in the jaw, knocking him completely unconscious.
Ethan ran to the fireproof cabinet and retrieved the thick folder containing the trust documents.
He grabbed Sophie's hand and sprinted down the emergency stairwell to the street.
They blended into the busy morning commuter crowd, completely exhausted and terrified.
Ethan's cell phone suddenly vibrated in his damp jacket pocket.
He checked the caller ID and saw that it was his younger sister, Sarah.
He answered the phone immediately, desperate to warn her about the danger.
It was not Sarah's voice on the other end of the line.
Celeste spoke softly into the phone, her tone dripping with absolute malice.
She told Ethan that she was currently having a lovely breakfast with his sister.
Celeste demanded that Ethan bring the trust documents to the abandoned shipyard by noon.
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If he contacted the police or failed to show up, his sister would die.
Ethan heard a muffled scream in the background before the call abruptly disconnected.
