Chapter 6 - The Traitor Within
Despite our legal victory at the gate, the real danger was brewing behind closed doors.
Two days later, while reviewing Grandma’s financial ledgers with Victoria, we noticed something alarming. Millions of dollars were systematically being drained from secondary holding accounts associated with the Whitaker estate.
“It’s an insider leak,” Victoria said, clicking rapidly through ledger logs. “Someone with direct access to the estate's internal routing numbers is authorizing transfers to offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands.”
“Who has access besides you and Grandma?” I asked.
“Only one other person,” Victoria murmured, her face darkening. “The household financial executor... Aunt Linda.”
My mind whirled. Aunt Linda—my father’s sister, who had sat quietly at Christmas dinner, pretending to be amused by the check prank.
Before we could act, a commotion sounded from the front hall. Glass shattered. The front door burst open.
I rushed into the foyer to find Aunt Linda standing near the security hub, holding a flash drive, while two unknown men in tactical gear forced our security guards to the ground at gunpoint.
“Linda!” I gasped.
Aunt Linda looked at me with cold, bitter eyes. “You always were the quiet little saint, weren't you, Claire? Grandma’s favorite. Well, Evelyn spent fifty years hoarding wealth while the rest of us lived on allowances!”
“Grandma paid your mortgages, your kids' tuition, your medical bills!” I yelled.
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“She gave us crumbs!” Linda hissed. “Victor Vance offered me fifty million dollars for the digital master key to the energy patents. And thanks to your foolish little battle, you left the house servers online.”
She handed the flash drive to one of the armed men. “Transfer complete. Let’s go.”
