Chapter 6 - The Golden Trap
By 7:00 PM, the dining room looked like a scene from a luxury lifestyle magazine. Crystal chandeliers cast a warm, glittering glow over the mahogany table set for three. Clare sat at the head of the table, wearing an emerald-green cocktail dress that accentuated her slender frame. Across from her sat Arthur Vance, a slick man in his late fifties with silver hair and a shark-like smile.
“Jary is finally seeing reason,” Arthur said, swirling a glass of vintage Pinot Noir. “Once this revised trust document is signed tonight, your position in the Wilson estate is ironclad, Clare. Even if his board objects, the legal custody of the twins and the controlling shares default to you if anything happens to him.”
Clare chuckled, adjusting her diamond necklace. “It was about time. The idiot was actually suspicious today because that stupid maid caught the brats crying. I’ll make sure she’s blacklisted from every domestic service agency in Illinois by tomorrow morning.”
“A toast, then,” Arthur smiled, raising his glass. “To a very lucrative future.”
“To our future,” Clare beamed, clinking her glass against his.
“I hope you don’t mind if I join the celebration,” a deep voice resonated from the archway.
Jary walked into the room, holding a thick leather folder under his arm. He looked remarkably calm, almost cheerful, though his eyes were completely devoid of light.
“Darling!” Clare stood up, rushing toward him and kissing his cheek. “Arthur brought the papers! Everything is ready for your signature. Then we can finally put this awful day behind us.”
“Of course,” Jary smiled, pulling out a chair and sitting down. He laid the leather folder on the polished wood. “Before we sign, though, I thought we should review the presentation I prepared for the family foundation board. Arthur, you’ll want to see this. It outlines the full allocation of the twins’ medical and living trusts.”
Arthur nodded eagerly, pulling out his gold fountain pen. “Splendid, Jary. Let’s see the numbers.”
May you like
Jary pressed a remote control hidden in his pocket.
Across the dining room, the massive eighty-five-inch digital display mounted on the wall hummed to life. But instead of financial spreadsheets or corporate charts, a high-definition video feed appeared on the screen.
