Chapter 5
The interior of the secure federal annex was sterile, brightly lit, and humming with intense bureaucratic activity. Telephones rang constantly, and analysts rushed between glass-walled conference rooms carrying stacks of subpoena documents.
Special Prosecutor David Miller stood waiting near the elevator bank, dressed impeccably in a charcoal suit with a crisp silver tie. His expression was grave, professional, and deeply respectful.
"Welcome, Ms. Vance, thank you for coming on such short notice," David greeted her, extending a hand to shake hers firmly. "And this must be young Leo. You both showed incredible bravery today."
"Thank you, Mr. Miller," Elena shook his hand, her grip steady despite holding her sleeping son with her other arm. "I trust the asset-freeze orders were executed without resistance?"
"Without a single hitch," David confirmed as they stepped into the private elevator, swiping a high-level clearance card. "Federal marshals have already seized Julian’s primary residence, his yachts, and all corporate bank accounts."
"He thought his untouchable social status would protect him forever," Elena remarked coldly, the elevator doors sliding shut to seal them in silence. "He forgot that corporate tax evasion is a federal offense that transcends elite circles."
"Greed always blinds them to the paper trail," David noted, pressing the button for the top-floor executive conference room. "The grand jury has already voted to indict on twelve counts of securities fraud and asset misappropriation."
The elevator chimed softly, opening directly into a spacious conference room dominated by a massive mahogany table covered in financial charts and digital displays. Several junior prosecutors looked up from their laptops as they entered.
Elena settled Leo onto a comfortable leather sofa in the corner of the room, draping her own cashmere shawl over him to keep him warm. David handed her a steaming cup of black coffee, which she accepted with a grateful nod.
"We need your formal testimony to lock down the final warrants before Julian attempts to flee the country," David explained, pulling out a thick manila folder labeled Vance Global Enterprises. "Are you prepared to sign the final deposition?"
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"I have been preparing for this exact moment for five years," Elena stated firmly, taking a seat at the head of the table. "Hand me the pen."
Outside the reinforced glass windows, the city skyline glittered beneath a canopy of stars. The wheels of American federal justice were grinding forward with unstoppable, crushing momentum.
