Chapter 5 - THE DEFENSE CONTRACT COLLAPSEBefore Griffin could lunge any further, the heavy double doors at the entrance of the ballroom burst open.
Four men in crisp, dark suits with federal badges clipped to their lapels marched into the room. They didn’t look like local police; they carried themselves with the chilling efficiency of federal marshals. The crowd parted instantly, creating a wide, terrified path straight toward Table 42 and the terrified Rowe patriarchs.
Alden gripped the edge of a nearby table, his knuckles white. “This… this is an outrage! I demand to speak to the Attorney General! I am Alden Rowe! I fund half your congressional campaigns!”
The lead federal agent—a tall, imposing man with graying temples—ignored Alden entirely. He walked straight up to me, stopped, clicked his heels together, and executed a crisp military salute.
“Admiral Rowe,” the agent said formally. “Federal warrants have been executed. All Rowe Enterprises assets, subsidiary accounts, and communication servers have been seized under the National Security and Anti-Corruption Act.”
The ballroom erupted into absolute chaos.
Screams, gasps, and frantic cell phone ringtones bounced off the crystal chandeliers. Several billionaires sprinted toward the exit doors, terrified that their own shady business dealings with Rowe Enterprises would chain them to this sinking ship.
Griffin grabbed the federal agent’s arm. “You can’t do this! On what grounds? What does national security have to do with a real estate firm?”
The agent looked at Griffin with absolute pity. “Mr. Rowe, your primary logistics contractor—Apex Global—was recently flagged by naval intelligence for funneling restricted military-grade microchips to foreign adversaries. And who is the majority shareholder of Apex Global?”
The agent turned his eyes slowly toward Alden.
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“Alden Rowe,” the agent stated. “Treason and economic espionage carry a maximum sentence of life without parole.”
Alden staggered backward, his knees buckling. He caught himself against the edge of the wedding cake table, sending a cascade of white fondant roses crashing onto the polished floor. The great, untouchable titan of the Rowe dynasty was crumbling into dust right before our eyes.
