Chapter 6 - The Fall of the House of Cole
By Friday morning, the fallout from the press conference was absolute and devastating.
The stock of Vanguard Logistics—the rival company Ethan had colluded with—dropped thirty percent in early morning trading as federal regulators launched an immediate antitrust investigation into their executive board.
Ethan’s crisis PR firm publicly terminated their contract with him within two hours of the broadcast, issuing a statement that they had been "severely misled by their client."
At 9:00 a.m., six federal marshals and officers from the Chicago Police Department arrived at the luxury apartment building where Ethan was staying. They escorted him out through the front glass doors in handcuffs, dressed in a faded grey sweatshirt and sweatpants, his head bowed low as news crews filmed his arrest.
Sitting in a sleek town car parked across the street from the precinct, I watched the live coverage on my tablet screen.
Beside me, my legal counsel, Arthur Vance, was reviewing the asset recovery documents.
"His bail has been set at five million dollars," Arthur reported, sliding his glasses down his nose. "Richard Cole attempted to put his law firm’s partnership equity up as collateral, but the judge denied it due to Richard’s potential co-conspirator status in the offshore wire transfers."
"What about Linda?" I asked, looking out the car window at the cold city streets.
"Linda’s social standing in Chicago is completely dead," Arthur said with a quiet snort. "She was forced to resign from the hospital charity board and the country club executive committee this morning. Every prominent family in the city has cut ties with them."
My phone buzzed. It was an incoming call from a number registered to the Cook County Department of Corrections.
I answered it, setting the call on speaker. "Hello?"
"Madison..."
Ethan’s voice came through the line. It sounded hollow, raspy, and stripped of every ounce of pride he had ever possessed. The background was filled with the metallic clanging of cell doors and the echo of voices.
"Ethan," I said quietly.
"Please..." he sobbed, the sound raw and desperate. "Maddie, you have to help me. They have me in a holding cell. The bail is five million... my dad can't raise it. The bank froze all his accounts this morning."
I sat back against the leather seat of the car, listening to the man who had promised to love and protect me for the rest of my life, now begging for mercy from the holding cell he had built with his own greed.
"Why would I help you, Ethan?" I asked, my voice calm and devoid of anger.
"Because... because I loved you!" he cried desperately through the phone. "I made a terrible mistake! Savannah meant nothing to me! She was just a distraction! I was overwhelmed by the pressure of the company... I felt like I was living in your shadow! I just wanted something that was mine!"
"You wanted something that was yours?" I let out a soft sigh. "So you stole something that was mine. You stole my trust, my peace, and my grandfather’s hard-earned money. You didn't live in my shadow, Ethan. You lived in the warmth of my hard work, and you mistook my generosity for weakness."
"Maddie, please! I'm begging you! Tell the prosecutors you won't testify! I'll sign over everything! I'll sign the divorce papers today! Just don't let me go to federal prison!"
"The divorce papers were already delivered to your attorney two hours ago, Ethan," I replied softly. "And as for the trial... I won't just be testifying. I will be sitting in the front row of the courtroom every single day, watching justice be served."
"Maddie! No! Maddie—!"
I pressed the red button on the screen, cutting off the call, and tossed the phone onto the leather seat beside me.
I looked out the window as the snow began to fall again over the city of Chicago. The air inside the car was warm, quiet, and completely peaceful.
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"Where to next, Mrs. Cole?" the driver asked softly from the front seat.
"Back to the office, James," I said, a soft, genuine smile finally spreading across my face. "And my name is Madison Mercer."
