Chapter 8 - The Fall of the Empire
"Where are the rest of the deeds, Arthur?" I asked, walking calmly into the center of the living room, stopping ten feet away from his desk.
Luca took a step forward, his eyes burning with frantic malice. "You ruined my life, Jessi! Do you have any idea what it's like to be mocked by every executive in this country?! My name is mud because of you!"
"Your name is mud because you are a pathetic bully who hides behind your father," I replied without looking at him.
Arthur stood up, motioning to his two tactical guards. "Lock the doors. She came here alone. We're going to get her master encryption key, sign the transfer deeds, and leave her body in the woods. They'll think she fled the country with the laundered money."
The two guards stepped forward, reaching into their jackets for their sidearms.
I didn't move an inch. I pulled my phone from my pocket and pressed a single red icon on the screen.
Suddenly, the heavy glass floor-to-ceiling windows surrounding the living room shattered simultaneously in a shower of glittering crystal.
Bright red laser sights danced across Arthur’s chest, Luca’s forehead, and the two security guards' torsos. Stun grenades detonated in the courtyard, filling the air with blinding light and deafening thunder.
"FEDERAL AGENTS! DROP YOUR WEAPONS! ON THE GROUND NOW!"
A dozen heavily armed FBI SWAT officers flooded through the shattered windows, tactical boots thundering against the hardwood floor. The two private security guards immediately dropped their guns and hit the floor, raising their hands in surrender.
Luca shrieked in terror, dropping to his knees instantly, holding his casted hand over his head. "Don't shoot! Don't shoot! It was my father! It was all my father's idea!"
Arthur stood frozen in the center of the room, dozens of red laser dots shivering across his navy suit. He looked at me, his eyes wide with a terrifying, helpless realization.
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I walked up to him, stopping just inches away from his trembling form.
"You told me on my wedding night that I was a useless outsider," I whispered, my voice echoing clearly over the frantic commands of the SWAT team. "You were wrong, Arthur. I was your reckoning."
