Chapter 7 - The Collapse of the Empire
Gregory Thorne was thirty-two, wore tailored suits bought with my money, and drove a sports car paid for by my sweat in Saudi Arabia. He believed he had hit the jackpot when he started dating Victoria Caldwell, using her access to "family wealth" to fund his lavish lifestyle.
He was sitting in the plush living room of the penthouse condo, sipping scotch, when the front door key clicked. He expected Victoria to walk through the door.
Instead, I walked in, accompanied by Marcus Vance and two court-appointed bailiffs.
"Who the hell are you?" Gregory demanded, standing up and setting his glass down angrily. "This is private property! Get out before I call the cops!"
"This property was purchased using three hundred thousand dollars stolen from my estate through a forged power of attorney," I said, walking slowly around the living room, inspecting the expensive leather sofas and imported artwork. "My name is Julian Caldwell. And as of an hour ago, a judge signed an emergency eviction notice and asset seizure writ for this entire unit."
Gregory’s face went pale. "Julian...? Victoria's brother? Look, man... whatever is going on between you and your sister has nothing to do with me!"
"It has everything to do with you, Mr. Thorne," Marcus Vance stepped forward, holding out a legal notice. "The $150,000 Victoria transferred to your business account last year was stolen property. You are named as a co-conspirator in civil recovery suit #409. If you do not vacate this premises within twenty minutes, you will be arrested for possession of stolen assets."
Gregory looked at the uniformed bailiffs standing near the door, then at the legal documents, and finally at me. He realized instantly that his golden goose was dead, plucked, and facing twenty years in prison.
"Okay! Okay!" Gregory stammered, panic taking over. "Take it! Take everything! I don't care! Victoria was the one who gave me the money! She told me her brother was a rich idiot working in the desert who would never come back!"
"A rich idiot," I repeated softly, a cold smile appearing on my face. "Take his keys, gentlemen. And tow the sports car parked in stall 4B."
May you like
Within an hour, Gregory Thorne was standing on the sidewalk with a single duffel bag, watching as his sports car was hoisted onto a flatbed tow truck.
Piece by piece, every luxury item, every property, and every dollar my mother and sister had fraudulently obtained was being reclaimed. But the physical wealth was only the beginning. The real battle was about to take place in the courtroom, where Evelyn and Victoria’s lawyers were attempting to file for bail and push for a plea bargain.
