Chapter 2 - The Taste of Champagne
While we were checking my mother into a secure, private medical suite under an assumed name to protect her privacy, Kyle and Vanessa were living like royalty in a penthouse suite downtown.
Vanessa lounged on a velvet sofa, swirling a glass of expensive champagne. She wore a brand-new diamond tennis bracelet, paid for by the advance payment from the sale of my mother's home. Kyle stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, admiring his reflection in the glass, wearing a designer suit that cost more than my mother's annual medication budget.
"I still can't believe how easy it was," Vanessa laughed, her voice dripping with malice. "The old woman didn't even read what I told her to sign. She actually thanked me for helping her with her insurance forms."
"I told you it would work," Kyle said arrogantly, adjusting his gold watch. "Claire is thousands of miles away counting pennies at her regular job, and her husband is just a boring government clerk. What are they going to do? Write us a strongly worded letter?"
"The escrow company said the remaining $400,000 from the buyer will hit our account at 9:00 AM tomorrow," Vanessa purred, looking at her phone. "Once it lands, we wire everything to the offshore account in the Caymans and catch our flight to Bali. Claire can look for her dear mother all she wants. By the time anyone realizes what happened, we’ll be untouchable."
May you like
Kyle walked over and clinked his glass against hers. "To family investments."
They drank deeply, entirely unaware that the digital walls were already closing in around them, and that their luxurious penthouse was about to become their prison.
