Chapter 5 - The Closing Net
Marcus stumbled backward, his hand catching the edge of the stone planter box to keep from falling.
"Federal marshals?" Marcus choked out, his voice a pathetic squeak. "On a Saturday night? That’s—that’s illegal! They can't freeze operational capital without a seventy-two-hour notice!"
The man in the trench coat didn't even bother looking at Marcus. He kept his professional, deadpan gaze fixed on me. "When the asset concealment involves offshore routing tied to federal compliance fraud—specifically forged signatures on government grant allocations—the emergency injunction clause bypasses standard wait periods, sir."
I looked at Marcus, watching the last vestiges of his arrogant color drain away entirely.
"You didn't just embezzle from your investors, did you, Marcus?" I asked softly, the pieces clicking into place in my mind. "You used government-subsidized tech development grants to fund Chloe's lifestyle and your Weston estate."
Marcus looked away, unable to meet my eyes, confirming every suspicion in a single, wretched silence.
"Mrs. Rhodes," the liaison continued, holding out a secure tablet for my signature. "Mr. Rhodes asked me to bring this to you before the formal statement goes out to the financial press. He wanted to make sure you cleared the final acquisition restructuring terms."
I took the stylus from the liaison’s hand.
Across the patio, Chloe was watching us with wide, terrified eyes, realizing that her luxurious suburban life, her designer dresses, and her social status were about to vanish overnight along with Marcus's empire.
I scrolled down the digital document, reading the clean, precise legal language. Rhodes Capital was poised to acquire Mercer Tech’s core intellectual property for pennies on the dollar—completely wiping out Marcus's equity share while securing every patent under a trust bearing Emma's and my initials.
My finger hovered over the signature box.
Before I could press the digital ink, my phone buzzed in my evening clutch. I pulled it out and glanced at the screen.
May you like
It was a text message from an unknown, encrypted local number.
“If you sign that acquisition, Evelyn, your little girl won't make it home from the hotel tonight.”
