Chapter 12 - The Federal Warrant “Mr. Adrian Vance? We need you to step outside with us.”
“Who are you? I’m not leaving my son’s bedside right now.”
“Special Agent Ramos, FBI Financial Crimes Division. You're under arrest.”
“For what? This is a hospital, you can't just barge in here!”
“Wire fraud, embezzlement of corporate escrow funds, and money laundering.”
“Adrian, what are they talking about? What has he done now?”
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The two federal agents moved with quiet, terrifying efficiency, flanking Adrian on either side before he even had time to fully process their presence. The polished badges gleamed under the harsh fluorescent lights of the hospital wing, catching Helen’s eye and freezing her in her tracks. She looked from the federal agents to Adrian, her expression shifting from grief to sheer bewilderment and rising anger. Adrian felt the blood drain entirely from his face, his mind racing to find an escape route that didn't exist. He had anticipated local charges for child neglect, even prepared himself for the social backlash and potential prison time related to the parking lot incident, but the federal indictment for corporate embezzlement was an entirely different magnitude of catastrophe. Agent Ramos stepped closer, pulling a set of heavy steel handcuffs from his tactical belt with a metallic click that echoed ominously down the quiet corridor. Helen stepped backward, putting physical distance between herself and the man she had shared a life with for over a decade, her eyes wide with betrayal. “You stole money?” she whispered, her voice cracking with disbelief. “While we were raising a family, you were playing games with federal funds?” Adrian opened his mouth to explain, to tell her that it was all meant to secure their future, but the words died in his throat as he realized how hollow they sounded even to his own ears. He held out his wrists willingly, refusing to make a scene in front of his recovering son, and allowed the cold steel to snap into place around his bandaged hands.
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