Chapter 6 - The Weight of Steel
The cold snap of steel handcuffs closing around my wrists was far less painful than the betrayal burning in my chest.
"Nora Vale," the Assistant U.S. Attorney repeated, stepping closer with a folder tucked under his arm. "You are being detained under a federal warrant for wire fraud, corporate forgery, and conspiracy against interstate commerce."
Adrian lunged forward, his face pale with sudden, frantic desperation. "Wait—this is a mistake! My wife had nothing to do with the Harbor Nine transfer! I am the CEO, I authorized—"
"Mr. Vale, step back or you'll be arrested for obstruction of justice," the lead federal marshal warned, his hand resting firmly on the grip of his sidearm.
I didn't cry out. I didn't beg or look at Adrian with pleading eyes. I stood up straight from behind my mahogany desk, feeling the hard edge of the encrypted flash drive pressed safely against my ribs inside my blazer pocket.
"I'll cooperate, Agent," I said, my voice cutting through the panic in the office with absolute, chilling calm. "And I'll be happy to make a full statement. But I want it on record that my legal counsel, Margaret Shaw, will be present for every word."
The prosecutor gave me a sharp, calculating look, noting the absence of panic in my voice. "You'll have your counsel, Mrs. Vale. Let's move."
As they guided me toward the double doors, I caught Sloane Bennett staring at me from the corner of the room, her hand pressed over her mouth, her eyes wide with the sudden realization that the monster she had helped create was about to consume her too.
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Adrian took one desperate step toward the hallway. "Nora, I swear to God, I'll fix this. I'll tear Arthur Vance apart piece by piece—"
"You already tore everything apart, Adrian," I whispered without looking back, stepping out into the marble corridor and leaving the forty-second floor behind.
