Chapter 5 - THE LEGAL AMBUSH
The grand boardroom of the Federal High Court was a breathtaking, suffocating monument to old-money power and absolute judicial finality.
The room was packed with senior investment partners, international compliance directors, and corporate attorneys, all waiting for the scheduled integration meeting.
Dana Ross sat at the defense table, her designer linen suit wrinkled, her eyes wide with an aggressive, defensive fury as she tried to maintain her aristocratic composure.
Beside her sat Michael, his hands clutched tightly in his lap, his handsome face looking hollowed out and pale under the bright LED lights.
"This is a domestic dispute that has been completely blown out of proportion by an unstable, aging woman," the defense attorney declared, his smooth, rehearsed confidence sounding entirely artificial.
"My clients have operated with the highest degree of corporate integrity, and these temporary financial freezes are a violation of their constitutional rights."
"The constitutional rights of your clients ended the moment they attempted to falsify federal records to protect an offshore dividend," a cold, clear voice cut through the room.
The heavy mahogany double doors were violently thrown open, and I walked through the threshold, my simple suits replaced by a sharp, tailored black wool power dress.
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Beside me walked Arturo, his posture rigid and commanding, his fingers holding the metal drive containing the decrypted home security records.
Behind us walked a team of six armed federal marshals, their gold shields gleaming under the lights as they surrounded the defense table.
