Chapter 5 - The Collapse of an Illusion
Dominic lunged toward the display table, his hands flying to his head as he stared at the screen. "No... no, no! This is a glitch! I am the CEO! I own fifty-one percent of the shares!"
"You own fifty-one percent of a shell company, Dominic," I said, walking up to him until I could smell the expensive scotch on his breath. "The actual intellectual property, the software patents, and the land this skyscraper sits on are owned entirely by a private trust. A trust my third brother, Victor, managed for me."
I reached into my bag, pulled out a secondary phone, and put it on speakerphone.
"Victor," I said.
"The extraction is complete, Viv," my brother’s voice purred through the speaker, cold, heavy, and absolute. "The Department of Justice has just finalized the fraud indictment against Dominic Vance and Beaumont Developments. They’ve been using our capital to launder black-market real estate funds for eighteen months. The marshals are in the room?"
"They are," I replied.
Dominic fell to his knees, his hands reaching out to grab the hem of my inexpensive coat, completely stripped of his corporate pride. "Vivienne... please! Sweetheart, I was forced into this! Helena’s father threatened to ruin the company if I didn't marry her! I did it to protect you and Sophia! I love you! I’ve always loved you!"
Helena Beaumont let out a screech of pure rage, slapping Dominic across the face with all her might. "You lying, pathetic worm! You told me your wife was dead! You told me you inherited everything!"
"Get away from her, Dominic," the lead federal marshal barked, stepping forward and hoisting Dominic off his knees. They slammed his arms behind his back, the heavy steel handcuffs clicking around his wrists with a definitive, bone-chilling snap.
"Dominic Vance, you are under arrest for federal wire fraud, grand larceny, and corporate embezzlement," the marshal recited, dragging him past the horrified investors who were already scrambling toward the exits to distance themselves from the collapse.
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As he was dragged toward the service elevator, Dominic looked back at me, his eyes wild with terror, screaming my name over and over again. But I didn't watch him leave.
I turned my back on the man I had loved for seven years, walked over to the table, and picked up Sophia’s colorful paper necklace.
