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The heavy mahogany doors of the penthouse master suite seemed to hum with the tension vibrating between Vincent and Sloan. / Chapter 16 / 30

Chapter 16 - The Federal Receiver

At 9:00 AM sharp, Agent Miller of the U.S. Attorney’s Office sat across from Vincent and Sloan in the private conference room of the Park Avenue tower.

Miller slid a certified document across the polished oak table.

“You’re asking the federal receiver to assign the Meridian Capital portfolio over to your personal holding company, Mr. Brooks?” Miller asked, raising an eyebrow. “That portfolio includes millions in toxic debt, including the Carter estate claim.”

“I’m not asking, Agent Miller, I’m bidding,” Vincent corrected smoothly, sliding a cashier’s check across the table alongside a formal legal acquisition contract. “Full market value for the entire portfolio, paid in liquid cash today, with zero liability transferred back to the government.”

Miller picked up the check, checking the routing numbers and the signature. A slow whistle escaped his lips. “That’s significantly more than the debt is worth, Mr. Brooks.”

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Cold October wind whipped my hair across my face, but the stinging heat on my left cheek completely drowned out the chill. Mara stood beside me on the terrace, her hands clamped over her mouth as silent tears leaked down her mascara. Inside the glass doors, the jazz quartet had finally resumed playing, a jaunty, swinging tune that felt like a sick joke echoing across the luxury ballroom.

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“I like a clean balance sheet,” Vincent said simply. “And I want every single claim, lien, and subsidiary tied to Meridian Capital permanently expunged and closed by the end of business hours.”

Miller signed the release document without hesitation, stamping it with the official federal seal. “Done. As of this second, the Carter estate debt no longer exists. It’s been fully absorbed and legally dissolved.”

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