Chapter 13 - the arrest
Thomas Sterling’s aristocratic mask finally slipped. The color drained from his face, leaving him looking hollow and aged. "You have no proof of that. Clara’s death was an accident."
"Ray Miller is currently in federal custody singing like a bird," Mark said coldly. "He gave up the offshore wire routing, the brake technician in Boston, and the audio recordings he made of you ordering the hit on Clara."
Thomas whipped his head around toward Julian Vance. "You idiot! You told me Ray was completely handled!"
"I—I didn't know!" Julian stammered, raising his hands in surrender. "Mark, I swear to God, I was forced into this! Thomas threatened to ruin my firm!"
Before Thomas could stand up, the side doors of the boardroom opened. Six armed FBI agents, led by a special agent with a badge clipped to his lapel, strode into the room.
"Thomas Sterling," the lead agent announced, drawing his cuffs. "Put your hands on the table. You are under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, securities fraud, and interstate extortion."
Thomas stood frozen, his sharp blue eyes glaring at Mark with venomous fury. As the agents pulled his arms behind his back and clicked the steel cuffs into place, Thomas leaned in close to Mark’s ear.
"You think you’ve won, Whitmore?" Thomas hissed. "You think this was about your pathetic logistics company? You have no idea what Clara found in those ledgers. You have no idea whose money was running through your father's accounts."
"I don't care whose money it was," Mark whispered back, his voice steady as steel. "You touched my daughter. You starve her, you pay for it."
The agents marched Thomas Sterling and Julian Vance out of the boardroom in full view of the stunned executive board.
The elderly board member stood up slowly, adjusting his glasses. "Mark... what happens to the company now?"
May you like
Mark straightened his navy jacket and sat down in the chairman’s seat at the head of the table. "We return to work. But first, cancel every contract associated with the Sterling name. We’re scrubbing them from this company forever."
***
