in the air between them as if trying to ward off the sheer hatred emanating from his son. "I would never do that to you... I raised you, Marcus!"
"Don't give me your tears, old man!" Marcus barked, taking another aggressive step forward. "Eight million dollars disappeared from the liquidity account yesterday morning! Your authorization code was used! Your private digital key signed the wire transfer to the Zurich holding firm!"
"I didn't sign anything!" Charles wept, his chest heaving under his velvet lapels. "Marcus, please... look at me. I am your father!"
In the shadows near the grand archway leading to the east wing stood Victoria, Marcus’s elder sister. Dressed in a sleek, tailored emerald-green blazer, she held her hands clasped tightly in front of her waist. Her sharp brown eyes flicked between her weeping father and her enraged brother.
Beside her stood Sophia, Marcus’s wife, wearing a muted gold satin blouse. Sophia looked visibly distressed, her fingers knotting together as she watched the confrontation unfold.
Victoria stepped forward smoothly, her heels clicking softly against the marble runner.
"Marcus, please," Victoria said, her voice dropping into a calm, authoritative register as she reached out a hand toward her brother. "Let's not do this here. Not in the foyer. We are family."
Marcus didn't turn around, but his shoulders dropped a fraction of an inch. "He stole from the company trust, Victoria. He betrayed all of us."