Chapter 10 - The Federal Interrogation Room
The interrogation room was painfully sterile, smelling of industrial cleaner and stale coffee. A single overhead fluorescent light hummed softly, casting harsh shadows across the stainless-steel table. Zora sat on one side of the table, still clutching the champagne silk graduation dress across her lap like a shield, while Maya sat beside her, nervously biting her cuticles until they bled.
The heavy metal door swung open, and Agent Vance stepped inside, tossing a thick manila folder onto the table with a dull thud. He pulled out a metal chair and sat down opposite the sisters, his expression unreadable behind wire-rimmed glasses.
"Your father is currently being held in a federal holding facility downtown," Agent Vance began without preamble. "He’s facing charges of corporate racketeering, international money laundering, and conspiracy to commit securities fraud. The offshore accounts tied to your mother's name were merely the tip of the iceberg."
Zora sat up straight, her white button-down shirt crisp despite the chaotic night. "My father spent his entire career building those real estate projects legally. Arthur Sterling is framing him. We have proof that Sterling's security company has been stalking us and hacking our accounts."
Agent Vance opened the folder, sliding a printed photograph across the table. It showed Marcus Coleman standing in a private hangar next to Arthur Sterling, signing a transfer document dated just three days ago.
"Your father didn't just have a rivalry with Sterling, Miss Coleman," Agent Vance said quietly. "They were business partners in a shell corporation that siphoned over twelve million dollars from public infrastructure funds. The signature on this transfer form is your father's. Not forged. His."
Maya gasped, dropping her hands from her face. "No... that's impossible. Dad always said Sterling was a thief."
"People lie to protect their empires," Agent Vance replied coldly. "And now, every asset your family owns—including your home, your bank accounts, and this custom dress you're holding—is subject to immediate civil asset forfeiture by the federal government. You have twenty-four hours to vacate your residence."
The silence in the interrogation room grew heavy and suffocating. Zora stared at the photograph, her mind racing. She knew her father’s flaws—his pride, his obsession with control, his emotional distance—but she refused to believe he was a criminal mastermind who would willingly destroy his own family's future.
"There has to be a ledger," Zora whispered, her eyes locking onto Agent Vance's. "A primary transaction ledger that shows where the money actually went. Sterling wouldn't leave his own name off the real documents."
Agent Vance paused, his pen hovering just above his notepad. He leaned forward, studying Zora with a sudden, sharp curiosity. "What makes you think a primary ledger exists?"
May you like
Before Zora could answer, the lights in the interrogation room flickered violently and died, plunging the entire floor into absolute, pitch-black darkness.
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