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Days after my major spinal surgery, Mom called and whispered, "I hope you understand why we couldn't be there." With tears in my eyes, I replied, "I understand perfectly. My sister's party mattered more to you!" She froze and couldn't say another word. / Chapter 7 / 10

Chapter 7 - Unraveling Lies

"How could I do this?" I let out a harsh, disbelieving laugh that shook my entire frame. "You left me flat on my back in an intensive care unit after six hours of spinal surgery! I didn't know if I was ever going to walk normally again, and you were sitting in a lawyer's office stealing my inheritance!"

"It wasn't stealing!" Arthur shouted, his face turning a dark, mottled red as he slammed his fist onto the table. "That money belonged to the family estate! We used it to protect our assets from Uncle Raymond's legal attacks! You have no idea what it takes to keep this family afloat!"

"You sacrificed Julian to Raymond twenty years ago," I said, watching my father’s expression turn from anger to absolute terror. "And when Julian died, you used me as a placeholder. And when I wasn't useful anymore, you decided to rob me to secure Chloe's future."

The mention of Julian's name hit the room like a thunderbolt.

Brenda clutched her chest, staggering back against the sideboard. "Who... who told you about Julian?" She turned her venomous gaze onto Sarah. "You! You promised you would never speak his name again!"

"I stayed silent for five years, Brenda," Sarah said, stepping forward into the light of the chandelier. "I watched you treat Maya like an outsider while you showered Chloe with everything Julian was denied. But watching you steal her future while she was laying in a hospital bed hooked up to a morphine drip? I couldn't live with myself anymore."

"Dad... what is she talking about?" Chloe stammered, looking back and forth between our parents. "Who is Julian? What does he have to do with my LLC?"

"Shut up, Chloe!" Arthur snapped, losing his composure completely. He turned back to me, his eyes wild. "You think this injunction stops anything, Maya? Raymond owns the paper on this house. He owns my firm. If that money isn't moved by midnight, Raymond’s legal team will seize everything we own! You're destroying this family!"

"No, Dad," I said, taking a step closer, relying on my crutches for balance as the pain in my spine flared violently. "You destroyed this family the moment you put a price tag on your children."

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Before Arthur could step toward me, two figures appeared at the front entrance of the house. Marcus Vance walked in, accompanied by two uniformed officers from the state white-collar crime division.

"Arthur Vance," Marcus announced, pulling a warrant from his jacket. "We have a warrant for your arrest on charges of grand larceny, bank fraud, and forgery of medical proxy documents. Step away from the table."

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