Chapter 5 - The Financial Trail of Poison
Three days later, Lily was officially discharged from the hospital and moved into my secure, gated residence on Fort Carson military base, where armed guards protected the perimeter twenty-four hours a day.
For the first time in months, Lily slept through the night without screaming.
While Lily rested, Major Mark Vance and my legal counsel, corporate prosecutor Victoria Vance, sat at my dining room table surrounded by thick stacks of financial documents.
“Sarah, we found out why they were doing it,” Victoria announced, sliding a yellow file folder across the table.
I looked up from my tea. “What do you mean?”
“When your father, General Bennett, passed away three years ago, he established a three-million-dollar educational and medical trust fund for Lily,” Victoria explained, pointing to a series of bank statements. “According to the trust clauses, if Lily were to be declared medically or behaviorally incapacitated, full administrative control of the trust’s monthly yield—roughly $25,000 a month—would transfer directly to her primary custodial guardian.”
My jaw tightened. “Taylor.”
“And Evelyn,” Victoria added. “Three months ago, Taylor filed a quiet petition with the state family court attempting to have Lily declared severely mentally disabled, citing 'extreme behavioral issues.' They weren't just punishing her, Sarah. They were intentionally trying to break her spirit and induce psychological trauma so they could present her as 'unstable' to the court and claim the three million dollars.”
The sheer, sickening depravity of it made my stomach turn. They were torturing a innocent child for money.
“Did they touch the trust yet?” I asked, my voice deadly quiet.
“They tried,” Mark cut in, tapping his computer screen. “Taylor submitted a withdrawal request four days ago for $150,000 to pay off his gambling debts and buy Evelyn a new luxury SUV. But because you hold joint oversight as an active military officer, the transfer was flagged pending your signature.”
I stood up, walking to the window that looked out over the sunlit military parade grounds.
May you like
“Victoria,” I said, turning back to my lawyer. “File an emergency motion for the complete liquidation of Taylor and Evelyn’s personal assets to be placed into a court-monitored medical victim fund for Lily. And contact the District Attorney. I want corporate fraud and attempted trust theft added to their indictment.”
Victoria smiled a sharp, fierce smile. “Consider it done, Colonel.”
