Chapter 9
The federal courthouse downtown loomed like a fortress of gray granite against the bruised twilight sky of the city. Inside the secure briefing room on the fourth floor, the hum of fluorescent lights and the rapid clicking of keyboards filled the air. Agent Hayes stood beside Assistant U.S. Attorney Vance—no relation to Victor, despite the shared surname—as they reviewed the decrypted files from the solid-state drive Julianna had retrieved from the manor vault.
Julianna sat across the polished metal table, a steaming cup of black coffee cooling untouched between her hands. She had discarded the ruined wedding veil hours ago, now wearing a sharp, charcoal-gray blazer over a simple black silk blouse. She looked less like a runaway bride and more like the corporate executive her uncle had always trained her to be.
"The encryption on this drive is military-grade," Assistant U.S. Attorney Vance said, looking up from his dual-monitor setup. "It took our forensic team less than an hour to break the root directory once you provided the biometric key, Julianna. What we found inside is staggering."
"How deep does the corruption go?" Julianna asked, her voice calm and clipped.
"Değer than we initially thought," Vance replied, spinning one of the monitors toward her. "Richard wasn't just embezzling from Vance Industries to fund his lavish lifestyle. He was systematically funneling capital into a network of offshore shell corporations controlled by several high-ranking members of the city's municipal development board. That's how he secured the zoning permits for the downtown commercial projects without public review."
Hayes crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "That explains why the local police were so hesitant to look into Victor's disappearance eight months ago. Richard had half the municipal government in his pocket."
Julianna stared at the glowing lines of financial transactions scrolling across the screen. Names, dates, account numbers—an inescapable web of greed and betrayal. "And his defense motion for tomorrow morning?"
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"Standard delay tactic," Vance said dismissively, tapping a pen against the desk. "They're trying to claim the trunk and the journal found at the church were seized without a proper warrant. But because my agents acted under federal jurisdiction regarding interstate financial fraud, and because you voluntarily retrieved the primary biometric evidence from private property with proper authorization, their motion won't hold up for five minutes."
"Good," Julianna said, standing up from the table. "Because I want to be in that courtroom tomorrow. I want Richard to look me in the eye when the judge reads the full list of indictments."
