Chapter 12 - The Paper Trail
Three weeks later.
The high, pristine office of the Federal Prosecutor in Paris overlooked the Seine, its floor-to-ceiling windows filling the room with clear, bright sunlight.
Bennett sat in a leather armchair across from Chief Prosecutor Henri Laurent. Bennett wore a simple, dark blue suit, his cheek healed, saved for a faint, fading scar near his eye.
Beside him sat Josephine, looking radiant and healthy in a dark wool dress, her dark hair styled in soft, natural curls over her shoulders. The twins were being cared for by a private nurse in the adjacent lounge.
Prosecutor Laurent laid out three thick paper files across his desk.
"The evidence your legal team provided is indisputable, Mr. Sterling," Laurent said, tapping the files with a gold pen. "The medical records recovered from Dr. Henry Sterling’s private vault confirm the unlawful confinement and medical neglect of Mademoiselle Josephine for a period of seven months."
"And the financial records?" Bennett asked coldly.
"Equally damning," Laurent replied. "We traced the offshore accounts in Macao. Your brother Julian received two million Euros from the Vance Family Trust, authorized personally by Victoria Vance three weeks before Josephine gave birth. It was an explicit contract for illegal confinement."
Josephine squeezed Bennett’s hand under the desk. "What will happen to them?"
"Julian Sterling, Victoria Vance, and Henry Sterling are currently being held without bail at La Santé Prison," Prosecutor Laurent stated firmly. "Given the severity of the charges—kidnapping, attempted murder, human trafficking, and corporate fraud—they are facing sentences ranging from fifteen to twenty-five years in maximum-security custody."
Laurent then pulled a thick, red leather folder from his drawer and slid it across the desk toward Josephine.
"This is the official decree from the French Family Court, Mademoiselle," Laurent said softly. "The Sterling Trust, along with the title to Château de l'Ombre and all associated land holdings, has been officially transferred into a legal guardianship controlled exclusively by you, as the natural mother of the legitimate heirs, Claire and Eleanor Sterling."
Josephine looked down at the gold-embossed document. Fourteen months ago, she was a penniless maid fleeing through the rain; today, she was the sole guardian of one of the greatest fortunes in France.
She looked up at Bennett, her hazel eyes swimming with emotion.
"What do we do with the château?" Josephine asked softly.
May you like
Bennett smiled—a warm, genuine smile that reached his eyes for the first time in years. "Whatever you want, Josephine. It's your home now."
"No," Josephine said firmly, reaching out to touch his face. "It's OUR home."
