Chapter 8
The executive boardroom on the forty-fifth floor of Sterling Tower offered a panoramic view of the sprawling metropolis below. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows bathed the sleek marble table in brilliant morning sunlight. The members of the board of directors sat in ergonomic leather chairs, murmuring quietly among themselves as they reviewed the quarterly performance reports. Julian sat near the head of the table, his posture rigid, his dark suit impeccably pressed to mask the sleepless night he had endured. He kept his eyes fixed on the polished mahogany surface, acutely aware of the empty chair designated for the audit committee review.
The heavy double doors swung open, but it wasn't the internal audit team that walked in. Federal marshals in dark suits stepped briskly into the boardroom, followed by Marcus and a senior investigator from the Department of Justice. A murmur of shock rippled through the seated executives. Beatrice, who had secured a proxy seat on the board, immediately stood up, her face flushed with indignant rage as she demanded to know by what authority federal agents had breached a private corporate meeting.
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The federal investigator ignored Beatrice, holding up a thick stack of legal documents. He stepped toward the head of the table, his gaze locking directly onto Julian Sterling. “Julian Sterling, by order of the United States District Court, you are being served with a federal subpoena and asset freeze warrant related to wire fraud, embezzlement of charitable funds, and conspiracy. Furthermore, we have an active warrant for Elena Sterling regarding corporate intimidation and assault.”
Julian’s face drained of all color. The polished veneer he had maintained for years cracked instantly, his hands gripping the edge of the mahogany table so tightly his knuckles turned white. He looked toward the glass doors, expecting Elena to walk in and defend them with her usual icy composure, but she was nowhere to be found. She had anticipated the collapse of their fragile empire hours earlier and had already cut her losses, vanishing into the morning traffic with a private offshore account and a passport under a maiden name.
