Chapter 2 - The Digital Ledger
Joe frowned as Tommy approached the head table. For a second, a flicker of uncertainty crossed his eyes, but he quickly smoothed it over, adopting a patronizing, sympathetic tone for the crowd.
"Tommy, buddy," Joe said softly into the microphone. "Come here to Dad. You don't need to be scared. Your mom won't be hurting us anymore. You're going to have a little brother now."
Tommy stopped three feet away from his father. He didn't offer a hug. He didn't look at Chloe or the little boy clinging to her dress.
He looked at the large projection screen behind the head table—the screen that was supposed to display a sixty-year photo retrospective of Eleanor's life later in the afternoon.
"Dad," Tommy said, his voice surprisingly firm for a ten-year-old with a compromised lung capacity. "You said Mom was lying about my medical bills."
"She was, son," Joe said smoothly, placing a hand on Tommy's shoulder. Tommy instantly flinched away from the contact. "She took money out of the family trust. She put it in private accounts in her name."
"No," Tommy said calmly. "She didn't."
Tommy turned toward the audio-visual technician sitting at the control board near the curtains. The technician—a young college student named Marcus whom Tommy had spent an hour chatting with before the party—nodded subtly.
"Marcus," Tommy called out. "Plug it in, please. Folder named 'Project Integrity'."
"Tommy, what are you doing?" Joe barked, dropping the fake fatherly tone as his eyes darted toward the technician. "Marcus, don't touch that! I am paying for this venue!"
"Actually, Mr. Vance," Marcus said over the PA system, tapping his keyboard, "the contract for the AV equipment was signed and paid for by Mrs. Vance three weeks ago. She's my client."
A soft chime hummed through the speakers as the projection screen flickered to life.
Instead of childhood photos of Eleanor, a massive spreadsheet appeared overhead, bright and terrifying under the crystal chandeliers. Bold red headers illuminated the room: VANCE & STERLING FINANCIAL — OFFSHORE diversion LEDGER (2021-2026).
The crowd leaned forward as one entity. Several senior partners from Joe's firm suddenly stood up from their tables, their faces draining of color.
"What is that?!" Chloe hissed, clutching Joe's arm. "Joe, turn it off!"
"Turn it off!" Joe screamed at Marcus, lunging toward the control booth.
Before he could take two steps, three large men in dark suits stepped out from behind the velvet curtains. They weren't club security. They were private investigators hired by my attorney, Rebecca Sloan.
"Stay right where you are, Mr. Vance," the lead investigator said, his voice like iron.
Tommy pointed a small laser pointer at the top line of the spreadsheet.
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"My dad said my medicine cost thirty thousand dollars last year," Tommy spoke clearly into a secondary wireless microphone he pulled from his pocket. "It actually cost eight thousand dollars because of our insurance. The other twenty-two thousand dollars went to an account called 'Emerald Horizon LLC' in the Cayman Islands. That's the company my dad set up for Chloe's house in Greenwich."
A wave of shocked whispering swept through the ballroom like wildfire.
