CHAPTER 3: THE SHATTERED ILLUSION OF POWER
Victor’s hands shook uncontrollably as he tried to maintain a shred of his former dignity while standing trapped between his own Rolls-Royce and an army of armored vehicles. The elite neighbors who had bowed and scraped to him at charity galas just hours before were now whispering behind tinted sunglasses and walking away.
"You can't do this in the middle of a public street, Richard! We can settle this in the boardroom like civilized men!" Victor pleaded, his voice dripping with sudden desperation. Richard stopped walking, towering a full head above the trembling billionaire with a look of absolute, unyielding contempt etched into his weathered face.
"Civilized men don't try to crush a fourteen-year-old boy on a BMX bike just to send a message about corporate silence," Richard replied, his tone dropping to a dangerous whisper. Across the street, Liam watched his father with a mixture of awe and overwhelming relief, realizing that the nightmare of the past few weeks was finally over.
Richard raised his hand slightly, and the lead security commander stepped forward, holding a thick leather briefcase stamped with federal seal emblems. "Mr. Grant, you are currently served with a federal injunction freezing all corporate assets, personal accounts, and subsidiary holdings under your control," the commander announced loudly.
The shockwaves of the announcement hit Victor like a physical blow, stripping away every illusion of untouchable wealth he had cultivated over the last decade. He lunged toward the briefcase as if he could somehow claw back his empire with his bare hands, but two federal agents intercepted him instantly.
"Get your hands off me! Do you know who I am?! I own half the real estate in this zip code!" Victor screamed, flailing helplessly against the federal grip. "You used to own it, Victor, but now you own nothing except a one-way ticket to a maximum-security federal holding cell," Richard corrected him coldly.
The fifteen black SUVs opened their rear doors simultaneously, disgorging a dozen forensic accountants and federal investigators armed with digital servers and subpoena warrants. They marched straight toward Victor’s corporate mansion gates, bypassing the front security guards who simply stood aside and raised their hands in surrender.
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Liam finally lowered his phone, his heart still hammering against his ribs as he walked slowly toward the center of the boulevard. Richard turned around, his stern expression instantly melting into profound paternal warmth as he saw his son limping slightly from the bike crash.
"Are you alright, Liam? Did that monster hurt you when he ran you off the road?" Richard asked, kneeling down to inspect his son's scraped shoulder. "I'm okay, Dad... I just can't believe you're actually here," Liam whispered, letting out a breath he felt like he had been holding for five long years.
