The silver Maserati Levante tore through the morning mist of Novus City. Inside the opulent living room of the the Hobbs villa, the air was thick with the suffocating scent of expensive cigars. The the Frances family had arrived in full force, transforming the family home into a makeshift courtroom. Josh Frances, the patriarch whose wrinkled skin and sharp, predatory eyes gave him the appearance of an old vulture, sat enthroned on the central mahogany sofa.
Christian Hobbs had tried to retreat to her room the moment she realized her grandfather’s intent was not a social visit, but a trial. However, her mother, Jane Hobbs, and the old man himself had commanded her to stay. As the Maserati swept into the cobblestone courtyard, Parker Frances felt a searing wave of greed wash over him.
"Aun
