Chapter 5 - Enter the Litigation TeamMarcus walked down the aisle with slow, deliberate authority, his polished Oxfords clicking against the stone floor like a countdown timer.
Mom and Dad instinctively shrank back, pressing themselves against the side of the altar rail as Marcus passed them without even sparing them a glance of acknowledgment. He walked straight up to me, offered a polite, professional nod, and then turned his cold, calculating gaze onto Evan and the trembling registrar.
“Mr. Evan Hart,” Marcus said smoothly, opening a leather folder of his own. “I represent Hayes Global Innovations and the federal bankruptcy trustees currently investigating Meridian Logistics.”
Evan’s knees buckled slightly, forcing him to catch himself against the edge of the mahogany signing table. “I—I demand to speak to my defense counsel. You can’t just—this is a civil family court matter, it has nothing to do with corporate—”
“It was a family court matter,” Marcus interrupted calmly, pulling out a thick sheaf of federal subpoenas. “Until our forensic audit uncovered that those exact six words were used to siphon over four point two million dollars in fraudulent corporate assets across state lines, utilizing your new wife’s family connections to launder the capital.”
Marcus turned his head, casting a cold, unimpressed stare directly at Claire, who let out a muffled shriek and buried her face in her hands, her designer veil catching on her diamond earrings.
“Furthermore,” Marcus added, raising his voice so every microphone in the chapel picked up every syllable, “as of 8:00 AM this morning, a federal grand jury in Boston has indicted Evan Hart on five counts of interstate wire fraud, identity falsification, and corporate embezzlement.”
The courtroom photographer’s camera flashed blindingly, capturing the exact second the color vanished entirely from Evan’s face. He looked like a man standing on the edge of a sheer cliff, watching the ground beneath his feet crumble into dust.
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I looked down at Lily, who was still clutching my skirt, her big brown eyes wide with wonder. I gently knelt down, brushed a stray curl from her forehead, and smiled softly.
“Come on, sweetie,” I whispered, taking her small hand in mine. “Let’s go home. Mommy has an empire to run.”
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