Marcus looked down at the floor as the harsh reality of the situation sunk in.
He apologized softly to Julian for defending his sister without knowing the truth.
He revealed that Veronica had been deep in personal debt for over two years.
She owed vast sums of money to dangerous creditors across the city.
She had married Julian specifically to gain access to his wealthy estate.
Julian felt a wave of deep anger wash over his chest at the confession.
He walked quickly down the back corridor toward his private home office.
He unlocked the heavy wooden door and stepped inside the quiet room.
The wall safe was located directly behind a large oil painting of the coastline.
Julian swung the frame open and typed in his six-digit security code.
The heavy steel door clicked and swung open with a smooth metallic sound.
Julian reached inside to check on his legal papers and family asset documents.
His heart sank when he saw that several critical file folders were missing.
Veronica had already taken the original copies of the prenuptial agreement.
She had also taken the legal title documents to the main residential property.
Julian realized that this plan had been carefully calculated for several weeks.
He walked back out into the main living room where Marcus was waiting.
He demanded to know where Veronica went after she left the driveway.
Marcus hesitated for a moment before looking at the frightened little girl.
He admitted that Veronica was heading toward the downtown legal offices right now.
She was planning to file emergency papers to claim half of the estate.
Julian knew he had to act fast to stop her from executing the fraud.
He called his security director and ordered a full lockdown of all bank accounts.
He asked Marcus to stay at the mansion with Maya under the care of the housekeeper.
Marcus agreed to watch over the child and protect her while Julian was gone.
Julian walked out to his car with quick and determined steps across the gravel.
He started the engine and sped down the long paved driveway into the street.
The afternoon sky was turning dark gray as thick rain clouds gathered above.
He drove straight toward the city center with his mind racing on every turn.
He could not let a greedy woman ruin the life he had built for his daughter.
He pulled up to the high-rise office building in less than twenty minutes.
He parked the vehicle right near the main entrance and hurried inside the lobby.
The bright fluorescent lights reflected off the polished granite floors inside.
He spotted Veronica standing near the front desk holding a thick leather folder.
She turned around in surprise as she heard his heavy footsteps approaching her.