876 "He Sat Down in Cheap Work Boots at an Elite Restaurant—Then Sent One Text That Made the Arrogant Manager Watch His Entire Empire Collapse!"

The federal marshals escorted Victor and his attorney out of the courtroom through a side exit before the judge could even finish adjourning the session. Judge Harrison retreated to his chambers without a word, leaving the courtroom to empty out in a flurry of whispered gossip among the spectators.

I walked back out into the marble corridor where Arthur was pacing anxiously back and forth, holding a sleepy Sophie in his arms.

When Sophie saw me, she rubbed her eyes, reached out her small arms, and let out a soft, tired sigh. "Daddy... can we go get pancakes now? My tummy is rumbling."

I took her from Arthur, resting her head against my shoulder as she buried her face in my rain jacket. "We’re going to get the biggest stack of pancakes in Virginia, sweetheart. I promise."

Arthur exhaled a breath he seemed to have been holding for ten minutes. "Mr. Mercer... that was the most terrifying thirty minutes of my corporate life. How did you know the DOJ was going to step in right at that exact second?"

"I didn't," I replied honestly, walking toward the grand staircase with Sophie resting securely against me. "I only knew that when you back a criminal into a corner with federal warrants hanging over his head, he eventually trips over his own paper trail."

Before we reached the glass revolving doors leading out to the street, a figure stepped out from behind a marble pillar, blocking our path.

It wasn't Victor. It was his brother, Marcus—the regional vice president of acquisitions who had been running the exclusionary seating scam inside my restaurants. He looked exhausted, his tie loosened, his eyes darting nervously toward the security guards stationed by the entrance.

"Daniel," Marcus said, his voice low and ragged. "We need to talk."

I stopped five feet away from him, my hand resting gently on Sophie's back. "You don't have anything to say to me, Marcus. Your termination paperwork was finalized at eight this morning."

"I was just following orders," Marcus muttered, taking a desperate step forward. "Victor told me... he told me if I didn't help him rebrand the Bellmont locations into private clubs, he would release documents showing how my father’s old business went bankrupt thirty years ago. He had me trapped, Daniel."

"Everyone has a choice, Marcus," I said coldly. "You chose a paycheck over your integrity. Now you get to deal with the federal investigators waiting in the parking garage."

Marcus swallowed hard, his face pale as chalk. "You think Victor is done? You think a federal injunction stops a man who has nothing left to lose? He’s not going after your restaurants anymore, Daniel. He went to your house in Norfolk two hours ago."