Chapter 19 - THE ECLIPSE OF ROMAN VALEInside the maximum-security federal penitentiary, the heavy steel door of Roman’s cell slammed shut with a finality that echoed through his very soul.
An hour earlier, two armed guards had raided his cell, stripping away his mattress, his writing materials, his books, and his communication privileges. When Roman demanded to know why, the guard captain had simply sneered:
"Your last financial lifeline just got intercepted by your wife, Vale. You’re officially cut off from the outside world. No calls, no visitors, no appeals. You’re a ghost."
Roman slumped against the cold concrete wall, sliding down until he hit the floor. The bitter reality crushed down upon him with unbearable weight. He had thought he was the master of his domain, the architect of his own destiny, the man who held all the cards.
Instead, he was sitting in a freezing cage, destroyed by the very woman he had underestimated, betrayed, and left behind on a rainy night while he drank champagne with Celeste. He remembered the five words left on the hospital table like a death sentence carved into stone:
May you like
You received every call.
Tears of absolute rage, humiliation, and utter despair burned in his eyes as the realization finally settled over him: Mara hadn't just defeated him. She had erased him.
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