Chapter 5 - The House of Cards
The knock on Liam's office door was polite but firm. It didn't wait for an answer.
Two men in dark grey suits entered, identifying themselves as federal forensic auditors, flanked by NYPD officers.
"Mr. Thorne, we have a federal warrant to audit Thorne Enterprises and its subsidiaries due to suspicious financial transfers," one of the agents stated.
"This is preposterous! You can't just walk into a private boardroom at midnight!" Liam shouted, trying to regain control.
"Our court order specifies immediate seizure of all servers and financial records, Mr. Thorne. The freeze order is already active nationwide."
Liam collapsed into his high-backed leather chair, watching them dismantle his life's work with clinical precision.
The massive glass walls of his corner office seemed to shrink, enclosing him in a glass cage of his own hubris.
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His wife’s words echoed chillingly in his mind: “Remember every word you just said.” He hadn't just slapped a wife; he had slapped the Sterling empire.
He reached for the bourbon bottle, but one of the auditors confiscated it with a gloved hand. The game was over.
