Chapter 9 - The Ultimate Betrayal ExposedThe elevator dinged, signaling the top floor of St. Gabriel Medical Center, but neither of us moved to step out. We stayed inside, letting the car remain stationary as the full weight of the revelation settled over us.
"Richard Vance?" Marcus whispered, incredulous. "Your former business partner and Nathan's closest confidant? Richard was the biological father?"
"Richard was the one who funded Nathan's lifestyle behind closed doors, while Olivia was playing the loyal best friend to my face," I said calmly. "They thought they were playing a long game. They thought they could bleed Nathan dry, take his company, and leave me out in the cold with nothing."
"But instead," Marcus laughed softly, a mixture of disbelief and deep admiration in his voice, "you let Nathan marry Olivia, let them build a fraudulent life together, let them steal dirty money, and then handed federal prosecutors the exact timeline that brought the entire house of cards crashing down on top of all of them."
"I didn't have to lift a finger to destroy them, Uncle Marcus," I replied, looking out the glass elevator panel toward the sunlit Chicago skyline. "They destroyed themselves. I just made sure the timing was cinematic."
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"What happens to Richard now?" Marcus asked.
"Federal investigators are already executing a search warrant on his corporate offices," I said, slipping my tablet back into my pocket. "By the end of the day, Nathan, Olivia, and Richard will all share the same federal holding facility. A nice, quiet reunion for the three people who tried to ruin my life."
