Chapter 16 - The Midnight KnockThe quiet bliss of our Saturday evening celebration was abruptly shattered just three days later. It was midnight, and the house was wrapped in a deep, peaceful slumber. Amy was breathing softly beside me in our bed, and little Frederick was sleeping soundly down the hall.
A sharp, authoritative knock echoed through the hallway. It wasn't the polite tap of a neighbor; it was the heavy, insistent pounding of someone demanding immediate entry.
I slipped out of bed quietly, pulling on a pair of jeans, my heart pounding against my ribs. In the weeks since the trial preparations began, I had learned to be cautious. I walked down the stairs in the dark, my hand instinctively reaching for the heavy flashlight on the kitchen counter.
Another round of pounding rattled the front door.
“Who’s there?” I called out, keeping my voice firm and low.
“Connor? Connor, open up. It’s Julian,” a breathless voice whispered through the wood.
I unlocked the deadbolt instantly and pulled the door open. Julian stood on the porch, his jacket half-zipped, his face pale under the amber porch light. He looked like he had driven straight through a wall of bricks.
“Julian? What is it? What happened?” I asked, pulling him inside and locking the door behind him.
Julian ran a hand through his hair, breathing heavily. He held up a thick manila envelope sealed with red wax.
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“I didn't want to call you because phones can be tapped,” Julian said, his eyes wide with urgency. “I found this in a safety deposit box linked to your mother’s secondary corporate shell in Chattanooga. Connor, the trial in October isn't the end. There’s a second layer of assets nobody knew about, and someone is already trying to liquidate them.”
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