Chapter 3 - The Audit of a Empire"Pick her up," Arthur muttered to no one in particular, his eyes darting frantically toward the side exits where his corporate security team stood paralyzed near the doors.
None of the security guards moved. They weren't stupid. When active-duty Navy admirals and the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee are in the middle of a federal takedown, corporate security badges don't mean a damn thing.
Senator Thomas flipped open the manila folder, his eyes scanning the first page before hardening into two chips of ice. He looked up at Arthur Vance, a man he had dined with, played golf with, and campaigned alongside for over a decade.
"Arthur," the senator said softly. "You threw a gala to celebrate your retirement, transferring your assets to offshore holding companies while quietly liquidating Vance Maritime's liabilities. You thought you were walking away clean with four billion dollars."
"This is a conspiracy!" Arthur suddenly roared, his desperation finally breaking through his shock. He pointed a trembling finger at me. "She’s unstable! Look at her! She ran away, she faked her death, she fabricated these documents out of some twisted hatred for her family because she couldn't cut it in the corporate world!"
"Mr. Vance," Admiral Thorne stepped directly into Arthur’s personal space, towering over the aging billionaire. "You are currently addressing a decorated naval hero who holds the Navy Cross, the Purple Heart, and a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering from MIT. Watch your tone."
I walked slowly toward the podium, stopping just a foot away from my father. I reached down, picked up the crystal glass he had dropped earlier—or rather, the shards left on the tray—and set them neatly on the wood.
"You always said I was a disappointment, Arthur," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, yet every person in the room strained to hear. "You said a woman could never run Vance Maritime. You said I was too fragile, too emotional, too broken."
I unbuttoned the top button of my wool blazer, letting the collar slip back just enough to show the burn lines trailing up my neck.
"You spent five years telling our friends that I ran away because I was a delinquent. You used my disappearance to gain sympathy votes for your defense lobbying. But every time you signed a government contract with substandard steel, you were building your empire on the graves of sailors."
I looked at the crowd of two hundred elites.
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"Ladies and gentlemen, look around this room. Every single person here has a financial stake in Vance Maritime. And as of 0800 hours this morning, every single asset, bank account, and subsidiary of this company has been frozen under the Wartime Fraud and Procurement Act."
My mother finally broke down, sobbing into her diamond-encrusted handkerchief as she realized their entire multi-billion-dollar dynasty had just evaporated.
