Chapter 1 - The Dropped Pen
Marcus secured the signed documents inside his leather briefcase with a quiet click.
Arthur let out a long breath, knowing his final act of vengeance was safely in motion.
The lawyer, still disguised in a white doctor's coat, nodded at Caleb before slipping out the door.
Caleb stared at the dying millionaire, his heart pounding violently against his ribs.
He had just become the sole heir to an eighty-two million dollar empire.
But his mind remained completely focused on his sister Mia and her failing heart.
Down in the hospital lobby, Vanessa stepped off the elevator with a fresh cup of artisan coffee.
She had returned to put on her devoted wife act for the afternoon shift of nurses.
As she walked down the crowded corridor, she noticed a man in a lab coat walking briskly in the opposite direction.
He bumped her shoulder, causing her to spill a few drops of hot coffee on her designer blouse.
The man muttered a quick apology and hurried toward the exit without looking back.
Vanessa cursed under her breath and bent down to pick up a silver pen he had dropped during the collision.
She wiped the coffee off the barrel and noticed an elegant engraving on the side.
It read Marcus Sterling, Attorney at Law.
Her eyes narrowed as she looked slowly down the hallway toward Arthur's room.
Why would a high-profile corporate lawyer be disguised as a doctor outside her dying husband's room?
She shoved the pen into her purse and marched toward the security desk.
Using her undeniable charm and her status as a wealthy donor's wife, she convinced the guard to let her see the hallway cameras.
The grainy footage clearly showed the lawyer entering Arthur's room twenty minutes earlier.
Panic began to rise in her chest as she realized her perfect plan was unraveling.
She pulled out her phone and dialed a number with trembling fingers.
Julian answered on the second ring.
"We have a massive problem," Vanessa whispered sharply into the receiver.
"Arthur just had a secret meeting with a lawyer, and I think he changed the will."
Julian went silent for a moment before letting out a dark sigh.
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"Then we can't wait five days for the digoxin to finish the job," he replied.
"I'm coming to the hospital tonight, and I'm making sure he doesn't live to see the sunrise."
