I found my ex-husband digging through a trash can for empty cans.

Before Alejandro could pull the trigger, the heavy double doors of the archive room burst open with a resounding crash.

"Federal Agents! Drop your weapons! Hands in the air!"

A flood of tactical officers poured into the aisle, their weapons drawn, tactical lights blinding the room. Leading the charge was an aggressive-looking woman in an FBI jacket, flanked by Sarah Jenkins.

Alejandro’s face went pale, his smooth composure instantly vaporizing. His two bodyguards immediately threw their hands up, recognizing the futility of resisting a federal tactical unit. Alejandro hesitated for a fraction of a second, looking at Mariana with pure, unadulterated venom, before slowly dropping the pistol onto the floor and raising his hands.

"What is the meaning of this?" Alejandro demanded, trying to regain his professional authority. "I am a prominent attorney in this city. I was protecting my wife from a trespasser!"

"Save it, Mr. Rivera," the lead agent said, stepping forward and slamming Alejandro against the metal shelves, violently pulling his arms behind his back to cuff him. "Sarah Jenkins didn't just walk into our offices with a story. She walked in with a live digital broadcast feed."

Mariana pulled a tiny, blinking lapel microphone from her collar. She looked at Alejandro, a cold smile finally touching her lips. "Did you really think I didn't notice the black sedan tracking me, Alejandro? I knew you’d follow me. Sarah and I set the bait, and you walked right into it. Every word you just said—confessing to destroying the recording, manufacturing the fraud charges, and planning our murders—was broadcast directly to a federal field office server."

Alejandro struggled against the cuffs, his eyes wild with rage. "You’re done, Mariana! If I go down, Vance Enterprises goes down! Your family name will be dragged through the mud! You’ll be penniless!"

"I don't care about the money, Alejandro," Mariana said quietly, stepping back to stand next to Robert. "I care about justice."

As the agents led Alejandro and his thugs away in chains, Sarah Jenkins walked up to Mariana and Robert, a triumphant smile on her face. "We got him. We got the whole thing on tape. The FBI has already executed simultaneous raid warrants on your brother Daniel's house and your mother’s estate. They found the off-shore accounts and the secondary logbooks. The Vance empire is officially falling tonight."

Mariana turned to Robert, who was leaning against a shelf, staring at the empty space where his tormentor had just stood. The sheer shock of his sudden freedom seemed to overwhelm him. He looked down at his trembling hands, then up at Mariana.