Chapter 6 - The Walls Close InThe boardroom doors flew open, and three armed federal marshals in tactical gear strode into the room, their badges gleaming under the fluorescent lights.
Lead Agent Marcus Vance—no relation to Victoria, though the coincidence was poetic—stepped forward, holding an arrest warrant high.
"Victoria Vance, you are under arrest for corporate fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit vehicular manslaughter," Agent Vance announced, his voice booming across the executive floor.
Victoria stood frozen, her face draining of all color. The untouchable corporate queen realized in a single heartbeat that her empire had turned to dust. She slowly looked from the federal agents to Kevin, who remained seated, his expression a mask of cold vengeance.
"You calculated everything, Victoria," Kevin said quietly, standing up to tower over her across the conference table. "You thought you could buy off cops, forge signatures, and eliminate anyone who stood in your way. But you made one fatal mistake."
Victoria sneered, her voice venomous as handcuffs were snapped onto her wrists. "And what was that, Morrison? Trusting your pathetic wife?"
"No," Kevin said, his eyes flashing with lethal fury. "You forgot that love doesn't die when people do. And a mother's protection doesn't stop at the grave."
As the federal agents escorted a screaming, thrashing Victoria out of the boardroom, the doors slid shut behind them, leaving Kevin and Annie alone in the silence of the glass fortress.
Kevin exhaled a breath he felt like he had been holding for fourteen months. The crushing weight on his chest lifted, replaced by a strange, unfamiliar lightness. He turned to look at Annie, who was quietly packing her laptop back into her briefcase.
"You risked your life bringing those files forward," Kevin said softly, walking around the table toward her. "Thomas went into hiding because he thought they would kill him. Why come out into the open now?"
Annie stopped packing and looked up, her dark eyes meeting his. "Because Thomas is dead, Mr. Morrison."
Kevin stopped in his tracks, the breath catching in his throat. "What?"
"They poisoned him six months ago," Annie said, her voice cracking with suppressed grief. "The medical examiner ruled it a heart attack, but I knew better. I watched him waste away, coughing up blood, whispering your wife's name. He died believing nobody would ever know the truth. I promised him on his deathbed that I would make sure Victoria paid for what she did to him and to Lauren."
Kevin closed the distance between them, gently placing his hand over hers on the briefcase. "I'm sorry, Annie. I'm so sorry I wasn't paying attention."
Annie looked down at his hand, then back up into his eyes. A soft, sad smile touched the corners of her mouth. "You were too busy surviving, Kevin. Just like the boys. But survival isn't living."
Before Kevin could answer, his cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw a notification from the home security app. He tapped it hesitantly, expecting to see chaos.
Instead, the live camera feed showed the nursery.
Jordan and Justin were sitting on the rug, building an enormous tower out of wooden blocks. They weren't crying. They weren't screaming. They were laughing—a bright, clear sound that hadn't echoed through the Morrison mansion in over a year.
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And sitting in the armchair by the window, watching them with a gentle, protective smile, was Mrs. Higgins, holding a tray of cookies.
Kevin stared at the screen, a tear finally breaking free and tracking down his cheek. He looked at Annie, realizing that the house wasn't broken anymore.
