Chapter 3 – The Family Empire Cracks
Chapter 3 – The Family Empire Cracks
News traveled through Chicago before sunrise.
"Prominent Attorney's Son Arrested After Wedding Assault."
"CCTV Exposes Fake Theft Accusation."
"Flower Girl Framed at Luxury Wedding."
Every television station replayed the surveillance footage.
Not the strike.
The planting of the phone.
That single act destroyed Preston's credibility before he ever entered a courtroom.
His law firm's board placed him on immediate leave.
Clients canceled contracts worth millions.
Sponsors withdrew from his business partnerships.
By Monday morning, his name had become synonymous with betrayal.
But the headlines weren't finished.
Reporters quickly discovered something else.
Several former employees contacted investigators.
One admitted Preston had blamed missing company funds on an assistant years earlier.
Another claimed he'd manipulated financial records to avoid paying vendors.
Suddenly detectives weren't investigating one crime.
They were investigating a pattern.
Meanwhile Sophie underwent surgery for a skull fracture.
When she finally woke up, the first thing she asked was,
"Did they believe me?"
I held her hand and smiled through tears.
May you like
"Yes, sweetheart."
"They know the truth now."
