Chapter 7 - The Fallout
The news hit the Miami business section by four o'clock that afternoon.
TECH EXECUTIVE'S HUSBAND ARRESTED IN $3M WIRE FRAUD & TRADE SECRET CONSPIRACY
APEX GLOBAL VENTURES FACES FEDERAL INVESTIGATION AFTER FORGED IP SCHEME
BARBARA VANCE HELD ON $500,000 BAIL IN MONEY LAUNDERING BUST
Aegis Systems’ stock price didn't drop.
It rose by twelve percent in after-hours trading as news spread that our proprietary source code was completely secure, that the fraudulent Delaware patent filing had been vacated by a federal judge, and that Aegis was launching a $10 million expansion into the European logistics market.
I spent the evening sitting on the balcony of my South Beach penthouse, watching the cruise ships glide through Biscayne Bay toward the open ocean.
Arthur Sterling sat in the armchair beside me, holding two glasses of single-malt scotch.
"Marcus’s attorney called thirty minutes ago," Arthur reported, handing me a glass. "He’s begging for a plea deal."
"What are the federal prosecutors offering?" I asked, taking a slow sip.
"Ten years for Marcus. Five years probation for Barbara, provided she surrenders her Orlando house to satisfy the outstanding bank liens. Harold Bennett is looking at three years in a federal prison camp for gross negligence and corporate fraud."
"And Chloe?" I asked.
"Chloe’s reputation in the Miami PR scene is entirely radioactive," Arthur chuckled. "Her father’s firm collapsed two hours ago. Every client on their roster terminated their contracts before five o'clock. She’s currently packing her bags to move into a two-bedroom apartment in Broward County."
I looked out at the ocean, feeling a deep, profound stillness settle into my chest.
The $150,000 I had spent on that private island trip had turned out to be the best investment I had ever made in my life. It hadn't saved my marriage. It had purchased my freedom.
"Arthur," I said softly.
"Yes, Eleanor?"
"What happens to the South Beach penthouse during the final divorce decree?"
"It’s entirely yours," Arthur declared with absolute certainty. "The forged home equity line of credit was completely cleared by the bank today under the fraud victim protection protocol. Marcus Vance has zero claim, zero assets, and zero future."
A soft chime sounded from my laptop sitting on the balcony table.
It was an automated notification from the county jail system.
INMATE STATUS UPDATE: VANCE, MARCUS. CUSTODY LOCATION: MIAMI-DADE FEDERAL HOLDING FACILITY. VISITATION RIGHTS: SUSPENDED.
I closed the laptop screen, taking a long, quiet breath of the warm ocean air.
Marcus was where he belonged.
May you like
Barbara was where she belonged.
And I was right where I had always deserved to be—standing at the helm of my own life, answerable to no one, and completely, undeniably free.
