Chapter 7 - The Reckoning
"What... what did you say?" Olivia stammered, her voice shaking for the first time in her life.
"Lumina Capital," I repeated, my voice clear enough for nearby guests to hear. "The shell company you used to siphon $140 million from Sterling Financial’s pension funds to pay off your personal debts and purchase your estate."
"You're lying!" Ethan chimed in, rushing over, his face flushed. "Mother, tell her she's lying!"
Olivia couldn't speak. Her hands trembled so violently that her wine glass shattered against the marble floor—a poetic echo of the glass that broke the day she ruined my wedding.
At that exact moment, the heavy oak doors of the ballroom swung open. Four officers in dark suits walked in, led by federal agents.
"Olivia Sterling?" the lead agent announced, his voice booming through the quiet hall. "You are under arrest for grand larceny, securities fraud, and tax evasion. You have the right to remain silent."
Gasps erupted across the room. Flashbulbs began flashing as reporters, who had been tipped off by Marcus, rushed the entrance.
"Ethan! Do something!" Olivia screamed as the handcuffs clicked around her manicured wrists. "Ethan!"
Ethan looked at his mother, then turned to me, his eyes filled with tears and desperate plea. "Clara... please... save us..."
May you like
I looked at Ethan—the man who stayed silent while my parents were humiliated, the man who only cared when his own comfort was threatened.
"You had your chance to speak, Ethan," I said softly. "Three months ago at the pool."
