Chapter 10 - The Final Vault
Pendelton’s arrogant expression flickered for a fraction of a second before he quickly recovered, forcing a condescending, grandfatherly smile.
“Ah, Maya. My deepest condolences regarding your poor sister,” Pendelton said smoothly, leaning back in his leather chair. “I’m afraid you’re tilting at windmills here, young lady. Any agreements Gabriel entered into were legally vetted by my corporate compliance team. You have no legal standing to seize these assets.”
“Compliance team?” Marcus Vance stepped forward, tapping his tablet screen and turning it outward so the financial charts faced Pendelton. “You mean the offshore shell corporations in the Cayman Islands that you registered using stolen social security numbers from vulnerable wards of the state?”
Pendelton’s face drained of color. The smooth, untouchable corporate facade cracked wide open.
“Furthermore,” Maya continued, her voice dropping into a lethal, quiet register that made the federal agents flanking her stand a little straighter, “we didn't just come here to freeze your accounts, Arthur. Agent Chen’s cyber-forensics team decrypted your primary server thirty minutes ago. Every single email, wire transfer, and conspired meeting between you and Gabriel has been downloaded directly to federal servers.”
Pendelton reached slowly toward his desk drawer, his fingers twitching toward a hidden panic button.
Before he could touch it, Agent Chen stepped forward, grabbing his wrist and wrenching his arm behind his back with a sharp, practiced motion.
“Don't even think about it, Mr. Pendelton,” Agent Chen warned coldly, pulling a pair of steel handcuffs from her belt and snapping them onto his wrists with a crisp clack.
Pendelton let out a ragged, furious breath as he was forced down onto the edge of his expensive mahogany desk, his silver hair ruffled against the wood.
Maya watched him with absolute detachment, feeling the last heavy anchor of grief and betrayal finally lift from her shoulders. Her grandfather’s empire, her sister’s memory, and her niece’s future were finally secure.
May you like
She turned on her heel, leaving the federal agents to haul the architect of her family’s ruin away, and walked back toward the elevators. Her phone buzzed in her pocket—a live video feed notification from the hospital nursery showing baby Gemma stretching her tiny arms out in her sleep.
Maya smiled, pressing the elevator call button, ready to go home.
