Chapter 4
Inside the bleak holding facility downtown, Eleanor paced furiously across the concrete floor of her temporary detention cell. Her elegant navy blue lace dress was hopelessly wrinkled, and her hair was completely disheveled without styling assistants.
A federal prosecutor named Harrison walked up to the iron bars, sliding a thick manila folder onto the stainless-steel table. "You've been formally charged with conspiracy to commit corporate fraud and obstruction of federal justice, Eleanor," Harrison stated.
Eleanor gripped the iron bars with manicured hands, her face twisted in a mask of arrogant denial and bitter fury. "You cannot keep me in this filthy cage! Do you know who my husband's political allies are in the Senate?" she shrieked.
Harrison opened the folder, revealing high-definition photographic evidence and wiretap transcripts gathered over the past three years. "Your political allies are currently deleting your phone numbers from their contact lists, Mrs. Vance," Harrison replied smoothly.
He pointed to a specific document detailing illegal offshore shell companies registered in the Cayman Islands under false identities. "These accounts funded the intimidation campaigns against federal witnesses, including Mrs. Claire Hayes," Harrison added.
The name struck Eleanor like a physical blow, causing her grip on the iron bars to loosen instantly in sheer disbelief. "Claire Hayes... she isn't just some ordinary young mother, is she?" Eleanor whispered, the horror finally sinking in.
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"Claire Hayes is the lead forensic investigator for the Department of Justice's special financial crimes unit," Harrison revealed. Eleanor staggered backward, collapsing onto the hard bunk as her entire worldview shattered into a million pieces.
She had picked a fight with an apex predator disguised as a debutante, and her entire family was paying the ultimate price.
