Chapter 24 - The Undoing of an Empire"That... that document is a forgery!" Pendelton stammered, slamming his palms onto the mahogany table and standing up so abruptly his chair screeched against the hardwood floor. "You fabricated this to stage a corporate coup!"
"Every transaction is timestamped, cryptographically hashed, and verified by three independent international cybersecurity firms," Katherine replied, her voice remaining terrifyingly calm. She stepped closer to the table, looking him straight in the eye. "Furthermore, the Swiss financial authority and the federal banking commission received the complete dossier fifteen minutes before this meeting started."
As if on cue, the heavy double doors of the boardroom swung open.
Special Agent Vance walked in, accompanied by two federal marshals. He didn't look at Pendelton; he looked straight at Katherine and nodded respectfully.
"Arthur Pendelton," Agent Vance announced, stepping forward with a warrant in hand. "You are under arrest for international wire fraud, securities manipulation, and institutional money laundering."
Pendelton stared at the federal agents in sheer disbelief, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. As the cold steel cuffs snapped onto his wrists, he turned his venomous glare toward Katherine.
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"You think you've won?" Pendelton snarled as the marshals pulled him toward the door. "You'll never run this bank. Without my capital, First Meridian will burn to the ground within a week!"
"First Meridian was built on corruption, Arthur," Katherine said quietly, watching him as he was escorted out of the room in disgrace. "We aren't going to let it burn. We're going to build something real on its ashes."
