Part 10: The Web of Deceit
Arthur de Witt slowly rises from his chair and walks with deliberate steps toward the large window overlooking the canal. His hands are calmly folded behind his back. "Your father was an arrogant fool, Lucas," he says without turning around. "He thought he ran the Vance family empire, but in reality, he was merely a pawn in a much larger game. Who do you think saved the eighteen-million-dollar investment fund back when you guys were nearly bankrupt?" My stomach tightens.
"You?" "Precisely," Arthur turns around with a triumphant gleam in his eyes. "I've pulled all the strings. Your father was too greedy and too stupid to see that I was bleeding his company dry from the inside out. And your grandma... well, the old woman started asking too many questions. She smelled betrayal and wanted to revise her will to give everything to you.
Of course, we couldn't let that happen." "So you murdered her," the words hiss through my lips, full of pure rage. Arthur shrugs nonchalantly. "A fatal heart failure, that's what the official report stated. Who's going to prove otherwise? The police have no hard evidence against me, only your word against mine." "Don't forget the USB stick, Arthur," I retort sharply, keeping my hand in my jacket pocket on the small device.
"Every transaction, every illegal contract, and proof of the donations is encrypted on it." Arthur's smile freezes for a fraction of a second. Then he suddenly reaches into his inner pocket and a sharp click echoes through the room. The boardroom doors slam shut with a mechanical thud. Out in the hallway, I hear heavy footsteps approaching.
