Chapter 4: The Collapse of an Empire
The ballroom had transformed into a scene of absolute chaos. Federal agents had breached the security, and the arrest of Evelyn Thorne was swift and public. She screamed, she cursed, she claimed she was the victim, but the evidence Julian had provided was irrefutable.
Julian stood by the window, watching his mother being led away in handcuffs. He felt no remorse. He had spent his entire life being molded into a tool for her vanity, a puppet for her machinations. The empire wasn't a legacy; it was a cage, and today, he had unlocked the door.
He looked around the room. The guests were being interviewed, the records were being seized, and the Thorne name—the name that had dominated the industry for half a century—was being dragged through the mud.
He felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Elena.
"It’s done," she said. "The files have been transferred. My handlers are satisfied."
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"And us?" Julian asked, turning to face her.
"We’re ghosts now, Julian. That was the deal. We take what we took, and we disappear before they realize you were the one who fed them the evidence."
