CHAPTER 7
Six months after that fateful night at the Blackstone Grand Hotel, the morning sun rose brightly over the skyline of downtown Chicago.
I stood in the corner office of Merrick Global headquarters, looking out at the calm blue waters of Lake Michigan while holding a steaming mug of black coffee.
The scars of that terrible night had healed, replaced by a renewed sense of clarity and unshakeable purpose.
My legal team had spent the last half-year systematically purging the corrupt elements from our corporate hierarchy, replacing them with ethical, experienced leaders.
The board members who had stood by and watched Vanessa's treason were currently serving lengthy sentences in federal penitentiaries across the country.
Roland Pike had pleaded guilty to racketeering and corporate fraud, receiving a fifteen-year prison sentence and forfeiting every cent of his stolen wealth.
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My chief legal officer, Eleanor Vance, walked into my office carrying a thick leather-bound folder containing the final judicial decrees.
"Good morning, Evelyn," Eleanor smiled, setting the documents down on my wide mahogany desk. "The federal court has officially finalized the asset forfeiture proceedings."
