Chapter 4: The Great Collapse
The board of directors didn't offer a single word of defense. Within an hour, they had convened an emergency meeting in the hotel’s conference room, and by a unanimous vote, they had stripped Margaret of her title, her stock options, and her seat. They were terrified of being linked to the federal investigation.
Margaret was led out in handcuffs, her expensive jewelry clinking—the last remnants of a life built on sand. She looked back at the banquet hall, not at the people she had tried to impress, but at Elena.
"You did this," Margaret spat, her composure entirely shattered. "You waited until the absolute peak of the gala to ruin me. You wanted to watch me lose everything in front of everyone."
"I didn't do this, Margaret," Elena replied, placing a protective hand over her stomach. "Your own greed did this. I just provided the roadmap."
May you like
Julian, the son Margaret had tried to "save," stood in the corner, pale and trembling. He looked at his mother, then at Elena. He chose to remain silent. He knew, as everyone in the room knew, that Margaret’s ship had sailed, and he had no desire to be on board when it sank.
The federal agents began the process of cataloging everything. The emerald silk dress, the black file, the very stage Margaret had stood on—it all belonged to the government now.
