flash
The screen of my encrypted phone glowed against the dark marble of the pantry, casting a cold blue hue over June’s terrified face. The name at the bottom of the electronic payment voucher wasn’t a low-level clerk’s. It belonged to Marcus Vance—my chief operating officer, my shadow, the man who had managed my corporate portfolio and personal life for over a decade. / Chapter 19 / 20

Chapter 19 - The Verdict

The jury deliberated for less than three hours. When the foreman stood to read the verdict, Marcus Vance stared blankly at the defense table, his expression completely hollow. Guilty on all forty-two counts of wire fraud, corporate embezzlement, identity theft, and racketeering. The judge sentenced him to twenty-eight years in federal prison without the possibility of parole. As the bailiffs led him away in chains, Marcus paused, casting one final, venomous glance back at me—a look that held no power left to wound.

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