Chapter 10 - The Fallen EmperorScott stared at me, his breath coming in ragged, panicked hitches. "You’re lying. That old contract was voided years ago during the corporate restructuring!"
"It was never voided, Scott," I replied smoothly, pulling the certified original incorporation document from my bag and laying it right beside Victoria’s court order. "You forged tax filings to hide it. But your mother kept the original."
At the mention of his mother, Scott froze. "Evelyn...? She... she gave you this?"
"She gave me everything, Scott," I said, my voice cutting through him like an icy blade. "She gave me the truth, she gave me the evidence, and she gave me the key to Safe Deposit Box 417."
Scott stumbled backward, collapsing into his executive chair. The arrogant, ruthless man who had thrown his wife and sick child out into the freezing rain eighteen hours ago was completely gone. In his place sat a terrified, exposed criminal.
Victoria turned to the team of forensic accountants. "Gentlemen, seal the server rooms, seize all hard drives, and secure the financial ledgers. No one leaves this floor with any paper or digital media."
Two uniformed police officers stepped through the doorway behind the sheriff's deputies.
One of them pulled out a pair of steel handcuffs. "Richard Vance?"
Richard stood up on shaking legs. "Yes?"
"You are under arrest for felony barratry, criminal conflict of interest, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit grand larceny. You have the right to remain silent..."
As the officers snapped the handcuffs around Richard Vance’s wrists and led him out past the shocked employees staring through the glass walls, Vanessa grabbed her purse and backed away toward the corner of the room, looking at Scott with pure disgust.
"You told me you owned this company!" Vanessa hissed at Scott, her eyes flashing with rage. "You told me she was nobody! You ruined my father's deal!"
"Vanessa, wait—" Scott reached out his hand, pleading.
"Don't touch me!" she screamed, dodging his hand and rushing out the conference room doors, her high heels clicking frantically down the marble hallway.
Scott was left entirely alone.
He looked up at me, his hands shaking, his eyes filled with a desperate, pathetic plea. "Diane... please. We can talk about this. We’re family! Think about Lily... we can work this out..."
I walked up to the head of the table, picked up the $50,000 settlement offer he had tried to force me to sign, and slowly tore it in half.
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"We will work it out, Scott," I said softly, letting the torn paper fall over his lap. "In court."
The Legacy of the Suitcase
