Chapter 7 - THE CRUMBLING EMPIRE
At 4:00 PM, a convoy of black SUVs pulled through the gilded wrought-iron gates of the Vale Greenwich estate.
The rain had cleared, leaving the massive stone mansion looking cold, gray, and dead against the autumn sky. The private security guards at the gatehouse didn't even attempt to stop the federal convoy; they had already abandoned their posts after news broke that the payroll accounts had been seized.
I stepped out of the lead vehicle alongside Julian and a team of FBI forensic technicians.
Standing on the front portico, waiting for us, was Celeste.
She was still dressed impeccably in her designer suit, but her face was hollowed out, her skin ashen. She held a glass of scotch in one hand, watching our approach with the cold fury of a dethroned monarch.
"Trespassing on private property, Mara?" Celeste called out, her voice icy. "My attorneys will have this warrant dismissed by dinner."
"The warrant is signed by Chief Judge Vance, Celeste," Julian said, holding up the paperwork. "Federal search and seizure for the entire property, including the subterranean structures beneath the carriage house."
Celeste’s hand tightened around her glass until her knuckles turned white. For a split second, the facade cracked, revealing the terror underneath.
"You think you’re righteous, don't you?" Celeste said, looking directly at me, completely ignoring Julian. "You think you’re some avenging angel for Elena. Elena was weak. She didn't understand the price of building something that outlasts a single lifetime."
"Elena was human," I said, stepping onto the stone steps. "She had a conscience. Something you traded away decades ago."
"Adrian loved you, you know," Celeste sneered, trying one last desperate psychological strike. "In his own twisted, pathetic way. He really thought you were his partner."
"Adrian didn't love me," I replied calmly. "Adrian loved the reflection of his own power in my submission. The moment I refused to kneel, he became a scared little boy throwing grease in a kitchen because his mother told him that’s how strong men act."
Celeste’s eyes flared. "He’s an idiot. And he will pay for his own mistakes. I had nothing to do with Elena’s accident. You have no proof."
"Let’s go down to the carriage house and see what your private drives say, shall we?" I gestured toward the forensic team.
May you like
As the agents moved past her toward the carriage house, Celeste stood motionless, her scotch untouched, watching the foundation of her entire life crumble into dust.
***
