Novels by Sheila

"Johnson Sterling, you're under arrest for fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy."Vera watched from across the street as police officers led her brother out of the Sterling family business building in handcuffs. A small crowd had gathered, phones out, recording everything. Johnson's face was red with rage and humiliation as cameras flashed.Margaret and Richard stood on the sidewalk, their lawyer beside them, looking shell shocked. The family empire they had spent decades building was crumbling in real time.Vera felt a hand on her shoulder. Siri had come to meet her for lunch and found her standing there, watching the scene unfold."Is that your brother?" Siri asked softly."Yes," Vera said, her voice hollow. "The police finally had enough evidence to arrest him.""How do you feel about it?"Vera considered the question carefully. "Sad. Relieved. Guilty that I'm relieved. It's complicated.""Family always is," Siri said. "Come on. Let's get out of here before they see you."They w

"She did what?"Victor Kane stared at his brother Hunter in disbelief. They were in Hunter's warehouse, a legitimate business front for less legitimate activities. The space was filled with crates and shipping containers, and men who worked for Hunter moved about with purpose."She confronted her family," Hunter repeated, leaning against a metal desk. "Cut them off completely. Chose Chris Winchester over them.""That doesn't make sense," Victor said, pacing frantically. "The Sterlings were on my side. They wanted her to divorce him and marry me. Why would she choose him now?""Because you're bankrupt and humiliated," Hunter said bluntly. "And because maybe she actually loves him.""She can't love him," Victor insisted. "He's nothing. A warehouse worker living in a crappy apartment. What could she possibly see in him?"Hunter studied his younger brother with a mixture of pity and frustration. Victor had always been ambitious but never particularly smart. He saw what he wanted to see an

"You have a lot of nerve showing up here."Margaret stood in the doorway of the Sterling mansion, arms crossed, face twisted with anger. Behind her, Richard and Johnson hovered in the hallway, looking equally unwelcoming."We need to talk," Vera said, her voice steady despite her racing heart."We've been calling you for two days," Margaret snapped. "You ignored us. And now you show up unannounced like nothing happened?""Can I come in or are we having this conversation on the porch?"Margaret stepped aside reluctantly. Vera walked into the house where she'd grown up, noticing how cold it felt now. How unwelcoming. Like walking into a stranger's home.They gathered in the living room, the same room where they'd had countless family meetings. Where they'd pressured her to divorce Chris. Where they'd celebrated getting him arrested."I know what you did," Vera said, standing while they all sat. "I know about the drugs you planted. I know you framed Chris and had him arrested."The room

"Victor's video has been viewed over fifty thousand times in the past two hours."William stood in Chris's office, tablet in hand, monitoring the social media fallout. Chris sat behind his desk, fingers steepled, expression unreadable."Let it spread," Chris said calmly. "Let him rant.""But he's accusing you directly," Vera said from her seat by the window. "He's using your real name. People will start asking questions.""Let them ask," Chris said. "Victor Kane is a bankrupt businessman having a public breakdown. No one with credibility will take him seriously.""Some people already are," William said, scrolling through comments. "There are threads speculating about who Chris Winchester really is. A few people have connected your last name to David Winchester and Quantum Corp."Chris's jaw tightened slightly. "How many?""Not many. Maybe a dozen comments out of thousands. Most people think Victor is delusional or making things up.""Keep monitoring it," Chris instructed. "If the spec

"Miss Sterling, thank you for coming in."Detective Rodriguez gestured for Vera to sit in the interview room. A lawyer Chris had arranged sat beside her, a sharp eyed woman named Patricia Chen who specialized in white collar crime."Let's start with your relationship to Beatrice White," Rodriguez said, opening a thick file."She was my lawyer," Vera said. "And I thought she was my friend.""How long did she represent you?""About four years. She handled my personal legal matters and some of my family's business."Rodriguez pulled out several documents. "We found evidence that Miss White was embezzling funds from multiple clients, including your family. Were you aware of any unusual financial activities?""No," Vera said honestly. "I trusted her completely. I never questioned her accounting or her recommendations.""What about your brother, Johnson Sterling? Did he have a closer working relationship with Miss White?"Vera hesitated. Patricia leaned over and whispered, "Tell the truth."

"Miss White, you're under arrest for embezzlement, fraud, and conspiracy."Beatrice White stood in her luxury apartment Monday morning, her silk robe hanging open, her face pale with shock. Two detectives stood in her doorway with a warrant, and behind them, more officers waited to search her home."This is ridiculous," Beatrice said, but her voice lacked conviction. "I'm a lawyer. I know my rights.""Then you know you have the right to remain silent," Detective Rodriguez said, pulling out handcuffs. "And you probably should exercise that right."Across the city, Vera sat in her office at the law firm, watching the commotion through her window. Police cars surrounded the building. Officers were escorting Beatrice out in handcuffs, her designer clothes and perfect hair looking absurd against the harsh reality of her arrest.Vera's phone rang. Mr. Harrison, the senior partner."Miss Sterling, can you come to my office please?"When Vera entered, she found Mr. Harrison looking grim. Seve