Chapter 4 - THE SISTER'S BETRAYAL
The rain poured relentlessly over the city, streaking the floor-to-ceiling windows of a luxury penthouse on the upper east side. This was Beatrice Sterling’s residence—funded entirely by blood money.
Julianne didn't call ahead. She bypassed the building lobby security by using her old family keycard and rode the elevator straight to the top floor. Her chest burned with a mixture of grief and pure, unadulterated fury.
She pushed open the unlocked penthouse door. The interior was lavish, filled with expensive modern art. Standing by the kitchen island, pouring a glass of red wine, was Beatrice. She looked beautiful, sleek, and entirely unbothered by the storm raging outside.
When Beatrice saw Julianne, she didn't flinch. She simply set the wine bottle down and smiled, a cold, mocking smirk.
"I wondered when you'd show up, Julie," Beatrice said, taking a sip of her wine. "You always were the smart one. Well, almost always. You were stupid enough to trust Arthur, after all."
"Why, Beatrice?" Julianne asked, her voice trembling as she stepped into the room. "He was your nephew. He was a baby. How could you help Victoria take him? How could you let me grieve for five years, watching me pull myself apart, knowing he was locked in a dark room just miles away?"
Beatrice’s smirk vanished, replaced by a bitter, ugly snarl. "Because you always had everything, Julianne! The perfect life, the perfect husband, the Vance fortune, the adoration of our parents. I was always the backup daughter, the artistic failure living on your charity! When Victoria approached me with a plan to take the heir down a peg, to secure my own future... why would I say no?"
"You sold my son," Julianne whispered, disgust churning in her stomach.
"I secured my freedom," Beatrice corrected, stepping closer. "And I’m not going to let you take it away. Victoria’s lawyers have already drafted my statement. I am going to tell the court that you were severely depressed after Leo’s birth. I will testify that you confessed to me that you wanted to get rid of him to escape the Vance family pressure. We have fake medical logs to back it up, Julianne. In the eyes of the law, you will look like a monster who staged a miraculous 'recovery' of her child to steal the Vance trust."
"You won't get away with this," Julianne said, her hands clenching into fists. "I have the bank records. I have the video of you and Arthur in Switzerland."
"Oh, Julianne. You think a five-year-old video of me getting paid by my brother-in-law proves kidnapping? It proves financial misconduct at best. A white-collar crime. I'll get probation. But you? You’ll lose custody of Leo. He’ll be placed in state care while the investigation drag on for years. Do you really want to put him through that?"
Beatrice laughed, a sharp, triumphant sound. She thought she had won.
But then, Julianne smiled. It was a small, cold, terrifying smile.
She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out her phone. The screen was lit up, showing an active livestream to a private server, with Detective Miller and the District Attorney's task force watching in real-time.
"I didn't come here to argue with you, Beatrice," Julianne said softly. "I came to get a confession. And you just gave it to me. On camera. In front of the chief of police."
Beatrice’s face drained of color. The wine glass slipped from her hand, shattering on the marble floor, splashing red wine like blood across her expensive rug.
Before Beatrice could move, the penthouse doors were kicked open. A team of armed police officers poured into the room, guns raised. Detective Miller stepped forward, cuffs in hand.
"Beatrice Sterling, you are under arrest for conspiracy to kidnap, extortion, and obstruction of justice," Miller declared.
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As the officers grabbed Beatrice, she screamed, thrashing against their grip. "Julianne! You bitch! I'll ruin you! You won't survive this! Victoria will destroy you!"
Julianne stood tall, watching her sister being dragged away in chains. The first snake had been cut down. But the head of the beast—Victoria Vance—was still waiting in her high tower.
