Chapter 12: The Granddaughter’s Oath
The sunlight streaming through the nursery windows felt warm, but the cold weight of the journal rested heavily in Elena’s mind. Little Leo copped softly in his crib, stretching his tiny arms upward as Elena gently stroked his cheek.
"You're safe, my love," Elena whispered, her voice a soothing melody against the quiet hum of the house. "No one will ever take what belongs to this family again."
The discovery of Thomas Vance’s journal changed everything. The federal conviction for fraud and attempted murder was just the beginning. With proof of pre-meditated homicide dating back decades, Arthur Vance and Margaret Howard weren't just looking at life in prison—they were facing the real possibility of transfer to a federal penitentiary with no chance of parole whatsoever.
Suddenly, a sharp ring echoed from her secure desktop computer in the study. A high-priority alert flashed across the screen: an encrypted transmission from the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Elena walked briskly down the grand hallway, her heels clicking rhythmically against the restored hardwood. She sat down at the mahogany desk and accepted the video call.
The face of Warden Sterling, Director of the Federal Supermax Facility in Colorado, appeared on the screen.
"Mrs. Howard," the warden said formally. "We received the certified cold case files from Detective Ruiz regarding the Thomas Vance homicide. Following the new evidence submission, inmate Margaret Howard has requested an immediate, unrecorded face-to-face meeting with you."
Elena raised an eyebrow, a cold smile touching her lips. "Margaret wants to talk to me?"
"She insists," the warden replied. "She claims she has information regarding the final offshore trust accounts that the federal government hasn't seized yet—assets hidden under a completely different corporate identity. She says she will only give the access codes to you."
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Elena stared at the screen, weighing the risk. Margaret was a cornered animal, desperate for leverage, but the temptation of tracking down every last cent stolen from her family was too great to ignore.
"Set up the secure video link, Warden," Elena instructed smoothly. "I don't need to visit a supermax prison to break a broken woman. Let's see what she has to say."
