Chapter 5 - Framed
Within minutes, the dream shattered. Thomas didn't just threaten Joan; he brought the evidence directly to Richard in front of the key board members and two high-ranking detectives who were attending the gala for security.
In Richard’s private study, the atmosphere was suffocating. Joan stood in the center of the room, feeling small and defenseless.
"Explain this, Joan," Richard said. His voice wasn't angry; it was dangerously calm, a quiet storm that terrified her more than any shout. He held the financial printout.
"I can't," Joan said, tears welling in her eyes. "I swear to you, Richard, I have never seen that money. I don't even know how to open an offshore account. Someone is framing me."
"It’s a classic corporate espionage payout," Thomas declared, pacing the room. "She played the hero to remove suspicion. If she hadn't saved Betty, the kidnappers would have succeeded, but maybe she panicked when the shooting started and changed the plan."
"That makes no sense!" Joan cried out. "I took a bullet fragment to the head! I almost died!"
"A calculated risk for fifty thousand dollars and a ticket into a billionaire's mansion," Arthur Vance added, stepping forward. "Mr. Seagull, as head of security, I advise we turn her over to the authorities immediately."
Richard looked at Joan. For a second, Joan saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes—the same doubt that had probably haunted him since his wife's tragic death. Trust was a luxury he couldn't afford.
Suddenly, the study door burst open. Betty stood there, her small face red with anger. "Daddy, stop it! Joan didn't do it!"
"Betty, go to your room," Richard ordered softly.
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"No!" the little girl screamed, running over and throwing her arms around Joan’s waist, mirroring the exact posture from the hospital. "The night at the restaurant, before the bad men came, I saw Uncle Thomas talking to Arthur Vance in the hallway. They were arguing about money and a Mercedes! Uncle Thomas told Arthur to make sure the 'package' was delivered safely!"
A dead silence fell over the room. Thomas’s face turned ash-white.
