Read on to discover Chapter Two...

"NO! IT'S NOT TRUE! SHE'S LYING!" Evelyn shrieked, backing away from her husband as Richard grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her violently.

"YOU TOLD ME CLAIRE'S ACCIDENT WAS A HIT-AND-RUN BY A DRUNK DRIVER!" Richard roared, his face turning a dangerous shade of purple. "YOU SAID WE WOULD JUST TAKE CARE OF ELENA AND USE THE TRUST MONEY TO SURVIVE! YOU NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT MURDER!"

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!" Chief Folarin commanded, stepping between Richard and Evelyn, pushing Richard back into his area while two armed state investigators stepped through the glass doors of the conference room.

Evelyn collapsed onto the floor, cowering near the wall, sobbing hysterically. "Claire was going to take everything! She was going to fire you, Richard! She found out you were stealing from her research grant! She was going to put you in prison and leave us with nothing! I had to protect our family! I had to protect Seraphina!"

"You protected no one, Evelyn," I said, my voice echoing cold and clear above her pathetic weeping. "You built a castle out of blood and stolen lives, and you forced me to pay for the mortgage."

Chief Folarin pulled a pair of heavy steel handcuffs from his belt, stepping toward Evelyn Mercer.

"Evelyn Mercer," Folarin announced, his voice booming with authority. "You are under arrest for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, insurance fraud, and grand larceny. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

As the metal cuffs snapped firmly around Evelyn’s wrists, she looked up at me from the floor, her eyes filled with a psychotic, desperate hatred.

"I SHOULD HAVE LEFT YOU ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH YOUR MOTHER!" Evelyn spat, her face contorted in rage as the officers dragged her to her feet. "YOU WERE ALWAYS A CURSE TO THIS FAMILY! A CURSE!"

"Take her out," Folarin ordered.

Richard fell back into a chair, burying his head in his hands, weeping like a broken child as his wife of forty years was led away in chains. Seraphina sat frozen at the table, staring at her manicured nails, realizing that her entire life of luxury had been funded by the murder of my mother and the systematic abuse of my life.

I looked at Richard, then at Seraphina.

"Daniel," I said, my voice quiet and calm. "File the civil suits against Richard and Seraphina for total asset recovery. Every dollar they took from VanceTech over the last eight years will be seized. Every bank account, every piece of jewelry, every luxury item."