Chapter 14 - THE FALL
Sophie stood.
“As majority shareholder, I am calling an immediate shareholder action.”
Victor slammed his hand against the table.
“You can’t do that.”
Rachel answered.
“She can.”
Sophie looked at Thomas.
“Thomas Keene, removed from the board effective immediately.”
Thomas jumped to his feet.
“This is illegal.”
Rachel slid documents toward him.
“No. It’s embarrassing. There’s a difference.”
Security moved closer.
Thomas sat back down.
Sophie turned toward another director.
“Richard Bell. Removed.”
Then another.
“Melissa Grant. Removed.”
Three directors.
All had undisclosed financial relationships with Victor.
Victor stared at Sophie.
“You planned this.”
“No.”
She looked at him.
“You did.”
“What?”
“You built a system where everyone around you depended on fear.”
Sophie pointed toward the table.
“I just waited to see who was still afraid of you.”
The doors opened.
Federal investigators entered with local detectives.
Carter’s attorney stood immediately.
“My client will not answer questions.”
Carter looked at him.
Then at Victor.
Then something broke.
“No.”
His attorney frowned.
“Carter.”
“No.”
Carter stood.
“I’m done protecting him.”
Victor laughed.
“Protecting me?”
Carter pulled out his phone.
“I recorded you.”
Victor stopped breathing.
Madison stared at Carter.
Carter looked exhausted.
“You told me to keep insurance.”
His hands shook.
“So I did.”
Victor lunged across the table.
Security caught him.
“Give me that phone!”
Carter backed away.
For the first time, he looked genuinely ashamed.
Maybe not good.
Not yet.
But human.
“I have calls,” Carter told investigators. “Messages. Payment instructions. Everything.”
Victor struggled.
“You pathetic coward!”
Carter laughed bitterly.
“You taught me.”
Madison watched him.
He looked at her.
“I’m sorry.”
She shook her head.
“Don’t.”
“I mean it.”
“You lied to me for two years.”
“I know.”
“You were going to marry me because of my father.”
Carter looked down.
“Yes.”
Madison’s eyes filled.
Carter tried to step closer.
She backed away.
“You don’t get forgiveness because the consequences finally scared you.”
That hurt him.
Good.
Victor was placed in handcuffs.
As detectives led him toward the door, he looked at Sophie.
“You think this makes you better than me?”
“No.”
Sophie walked closer.
“I think what I do next decides that.”
Victor smiled coldly.
“You’ll become your father.”
Sophie shook her head.
“My father spent years hiding one bad decision because he thought exposure would destroy everything.”
She looked around the room.
“I’m going to do the opposite.”
At 9:31 a.m., Sophie held a live press conference.
No prepared questions.
No secret exits.
She explained the bribery.
The warehouse.
Victor.
The internal corruption.
And her own decision to release all records to investigators.
Sterling Crown shares fell twelve percent before lunch.
Commentators called it a disaster.
Business channels predicted Sophie wouldn’t survive the week.
She watched the numbers from her office.
Daniel stood beside her.
“You okay?”
“No.”
“Good answer.”
She laughed weakly.
Her phone buzzed.
A message from Madison.
Can I come up?
Sophie stared at it.
Then typed:
Yes.
Ten minutes later, Madison entered.
No sparkling dress.
No diamonds.
No makeup.
Just jeans, a sweater, and swollen eyes.
For the first time, Sophie almost didn’t recognize her.
Madison sat down.
“My father’s accounts are frozen.”
Sophie waited.
“Our house may be seized.”
Still Sophie said nothing.
“Every charity board dropped me this morning.”
Madison laughed bitterly.
“My friends stopped answering.”
“That was fast.”
Madison nodded.
“I guess I finally found out what I was worth to them.”
She looked toward the window.
Then back at Sophie.
“I need a favor.”
Sophie’s expression hardened.
May you like
Madison swallowed.
“I need a job.”
