Chapter 7 - The Federal Descent
The heavy footsteps on the mezzanine drew every eye upward. Two federal agents stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the landing, their expressions grim and impassive. The taller one, a woman with iron-gray hair tied back in a strict bun, rested her hand casually near her hip where a tactical holster was concealed beneath her jacket.
"Clara Vance," the agent called out, her voice carrying effortlessly across the cavernous ballroom. "Step away from the altar and place your hands where we can see them. You are under arrest for federal wire fraud, identity theft, and corporate conspiracy."
Clara stood frozen, the flash drive trembling in her grip. She looked up at the agents, then back at Julian, who stood a few feet away with the damning financial records clutched in his fist. The realization that her empire of sand had finally collapsed washed over her features, washing away the last vestiges of her composed elegance.
"You planned this," Clara whispered, her eyes darting between Maya and Julian. "You set this entire trap. You used the wedding as bait."
"We didn't need to bait a trap, Clara," Maya said softly, climbing the first two steps of the grand staircase to meet the agents halfway. "Greed always builds its own cage. You just refused to see the bars until the door locked."
Julian didn't move. He watched as the federal agents descended the stairs, bypassing Maya and closing in on Clara. The bride made no move to run; her heavy lace dress, designed to symbolize a joyful beginning, now felt like a leaden shroud dragging her down into the parquet floor.
One of the agents gently took Clara’s wrist, prying the useless flash drive from her fingers and snapping a pair of cold steel handcuffs around her slender wrists. The metallic click echoed through the silent ballroom, drowning out the faint, tinny sound of the wedding march still playing on an automated loop from the corner speakers.
"You have the right to remain silent," the agent recited mechanically as Clara was turned around and led toward the mezzanine exit.
May you like
As she passed Julian, Clara stopped for a fraction of a second, her eyes burning with a hatred so pure it felt physical. "You'll never dig out from under what I know, Julian," she hissed softly. "The audit starts with me, but it ends with your name on every indictment."
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