Chapter 8 - The Imposter
The blinding flash of a hundred camera lenses exploded in Charlotte’s bruised face.
She stood frozen at the edge of the stage, surrounded by completely shocked reporters.
Two massive security guards immediately grabbed her arms, pinning her tightly in place.
Richard maintained his perfectly calm, grandfatherly smile as he lowered his pistol slightly.
"This disturbed young woman has been running through my hotel claiming to be my late niece," Richard announced sadly.
The crowd gasped loudly, whispering frantically among themselves as they stared at her.
"My beloved niece, Charlotte Vale, died tragically two years ago, a fact this imposter is trying to exploit," he continued.
Charlotte struggled violently against the heavy grip of the guards holding her arms.
"He is lying to all of you!" Charlotte screamed, her voice echoing off the high ceilings.
"I am Charlotte Vale, and this man ordered the murder of my mother to steal our empire!"
She managed to yank her right arm free just enough to pull the master deed from her waistband.
"I have the original master deed right here, signed in my mother's own blood!"
The reporters surged forward like hungry wolves, desperate to catch a glimpse of the document.
Richard simply shook his head, looking at her with an expression of profound pity.
He reached onto the elegant signing desk and held up a thick stack of official, government-stamped documents.
"I anticipated this pathetic fraud, which is exactly why I had the state verify the true documents yesterday."
Richard handed his papers to a prominent journalist standing near the front of the stage.
"Those papers prove unequivocally that the document she is holding is a cheap, desperate forgery."
Charlotte felt a cold wave of absolute despair wash over her entire body.
Richard had bribed the city officials to completely invalidate her mother's true final will.
He had built a perfect, impenetrable wall of legal lies to protect his theft.
"Officers, please remove this insane woman and lock her in a cell where she belongs," Richard commanded.
Three uniformed police officers stepped forward from the shadows of the stage.
Richard had clearly bought the local police force as well.
The lead officer, a tall woman with silver hair, walked directly up to Charlotte with a pair of handcuffs.
Charlotte closed her eyes, a single tear of total defeat slipping down her bruised cheek.
She had fought so incredibly hard, but she had ultimately lost everything.
"Place her under arrest for corporate fraud and criminal trespassing," Richard ordered smugly.
The lead police officer stopped directly in front of Charlotte and looked at the handcuffs.
Then, the officer slowly turned around and faced Richard with a look of pure disgust.
"I do not take orders from murderers, Richard," the police officer stated loudly.
The CEO of the foreign syndicate, who had been sitting quietly at the signing desk, suddenly stood up and removed her dark sunglasses.
May you like
Charlotte gasped in pure shock as she recognized the elegant older woman.
It was Eleanor, Charlotte’s godmother, who had supposedly been living in exile in Europe.
