Chapter 6 - The Federal Net Closes In
Dawn broke over Lake Forest like a cold, bruised dawn. The rain had ceased, leaving behind slick asphalt and a heavy, damp chill that clung to the rusted iron gates of the local precinct.
Inside the temporary federal holding facility twenty miles south of the estate, Tessa and Morgan sat in separate, windowless interrogation rooms. The high-end cashmere sweaters and designer jewelry were gone, replaced by standard-issue orange jumpsuits that hung awkwardly on their rigid, trembling frames.
Morgan sat with her arms tightly crossed, her eyes glaring daggers at the two-way mirror.
“This is an absolute abuse of federal power!” she snapped for the fourth time in an hour, her voice cracking with suppressed hysteria. “My attorney is senior partner at Vance, Sterling & Croft! He will have every single one of you disbarred, court-martialed, and locked away by sundown! Do you hear me? You cannot touch us! We are elite citizens!”
The heavy steel door swung open silently.
A federal prosecutor—a sharp, middle-aged woman named Special Agent Vance—walked in, tossed a heavy manila folder onto the metal table, and sat down opposite Morgan.
“You’re right about one thing, Morgan,” Agent Vance said, her voice smooth and chillingly calm. “You are elite. Which means the federal racketeering charges, wire fraud indictments for bribing municipal judges, and child abuse conspiracy counts carry maximum sentencing enhancements.”
Morgan’s sneer faltered. “Bribing... what are you talking about? We didn't bribe anyone.”
Agent Vance opened the folder, revealing high-resolution screenshots of offshore bank transfers, encrypted text logs between Morgan and Judge Harrison, and certified receipts of title transfers signed under table-side aliases.
“Maya’s digital forensics unit pulled your entire encrypted family server before your morning coffee,” Agent Vance said, sliding a printed ledger across the table. “Every illicit asset transfer, every falsified medical report signed by your compliant family physician, and every recorded instruction given to your niece to manufacture perjury. Your brother Ryan has already signed a cooperating witness affidavit.”
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Morgan stared at the paper, the color evaporating entirely from her face. Her lips moved silently, but no sound came out. The illusion of untouchable wealth had evaporated into thin air.
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