Chapter 17 - Fall of the Titan
The arrest of Arthur Pendelton hit the financial news like a megaton bomb.
Within minutes of the boardroom revelation, federal marshals handcuffed the founding partner and led him through the grand lobby of his own building, right past the flashbulbs of waiting news photographers.
The audio recordings provided by Natalie, combined with the forensic evidence I had pieced together from Daniel's forgotten receipts, left Arthur with zero legal defense. He was charged with racketeering, grand larceny, wire fraud, and corporate framing. Facing up to thirty years in federal prison, his empire dissolved in a matter of hours.
By late afternoon, the board held a emergency vote.
By unanimous decision, Arthur was removed from the firm, and my father's legacy shares were restored to their full value. Furthermore, the board voted to rename the firm Vance Global Management, appointing me as the interim Chairwoman of the Board of Directors.
As the board members lined up to shake my hand and offer their humblest apologies for ever doubting me, I noticed Daniel standing quietly near the back glass wall.
He looked at me with a mixture of awe, reverence, and desperate hope. He had helped me bring down Arthur, and in his mind, he believed he had played the hero who saved the day.
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He waited until the room cleared before slowly walking over to where I was packing my laptop.
"We did it, Claire," he whispered, his voice full of emotion. "We took him down. Together."
