Chapter 4 - The Boardroom Ambush
The lead attorney’s eyes scanned the top document displayed on my screen. His face drained of color so fast he looked as though he had seen a ghost.
"This... this is an internal audit of the Zurich shell accounts," the lawyer stammered, his fingers trembling as he adjusted his wire-rimmed glasses. "Where did you get these documents?"
"Your client forced his wife to sign those accounts under physical duress for three decades," I said, leaning over the table, placing my palms flat against the mahogany. "Every single dollar Arthur and Luca used to buy their influence, their cars, and this very building came from systematic tax evasion, wire fraud, and grand larceny. And because I am a certified forensic investigator, every piece of evidence I gathered is legally admissible."
Luca slammed his cast against the table, wincing in agony. "She's bluffing! Dad, call security! Destroy her laptop!"
Arthur stood up, his massive frame towering over the desk, his eyes bloodshot with rage. "You think a few spreadsheets scare me, girl? I own the judges in this city! I own the police chief! You are nobody!"
"I was nobody," I agreed softly. "Until you slapped me. Until you struck an innocent woman in front of me. Now, I am the sole court-appointed forensic conservator over Patricia Vance’s legal estate."
Right on cue, the double glass doors of the executive suite burst open.
Four uniformed federal marshals walked into the room, flanked by two high-ranking agents from the Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigation Division.
"Arthur Vance? Luca Vance?" the lead federal agent announced, pulling an official warrant from his coat pocket. "We have an emergency court order seizing all digital servers, physical records, and financial assets belonging to Vance Enterprises, effective immediately."
Arthur stumbled back into his chair, his mouth hanging open in utter shock. "This... this is a mistake! My lawyers—"
"Your lawyers are advised to remain seated," the agent cut in coldly. "Mr. Luca Vance, you are also being taken into custody for grand jury witness intimidation and domestic felony assault."
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Luca’s jaw dropped. He looked at me, his eyes wide with a mixture of terror and disbelief as the steel handcuffs clinked around his wrists. "Jessi... please! We're married! You can't do this to your husband!"
"Our marriage lasted three hours, Luca," I whispered as the officers dragged him past me. "And it was the worst investment of my life."
