Chapter 9 - The Final Evidence
The police commander held up a pair of handcuffs.
"Marcus claims he was only acting under your direct orders to hide corporate assets," the officer stated.
Evelyn stepped forward, her eyes flashing with maternal fury.
"That is a ridiculous lie, and you know it!" she shouted at the police.
"Ma'am, we have to follow the evidence, and Marcus just provided us with signed authorizations," the commander explained.
Darius held his hands up calmly, refusing to let his son see him panic.
"It is okay, Mom, I can clear this up," Darius said smoothly.
He turned to Nia, who was already reaching into her apron pocket.
She pulled out the silver flash drive they had retrieved from the bank vault.
"Commander, this drive contains the original, unedited financial ledgers from seven years ago," Nia told the officer.
"It includes the digital footprints and IP addresses of every single illegal transfer Marcus made."
The officer looked at the small piece of metal with obvious skepticism.
"I also have copies of the emails where Marcus threatened my life if I exposed him," she added.
The commander signaled to a forensic detective standing near the stairwell.
The detective plugged the drive into a portable police tablet.
They all stood in tense silence on the windy roof as the detective scrolled through the data.
Five minutes passed like five agonizing hours.
Finally, the detective looked up and nodded at his commander.
"She is telling the truth, sir," the detective confirmed.
"The forged signatures Marcus provided have digital traces pointing back to his own private terminal."
The commander sighed and put his handcuffs back onto his belt.
"My apologies, Mr. Bennett," the officer said respectfully.
"We will take Marcus down to federal holding."
The police filed off the roof, leaving the fractured family alone under the cloudy sky.
Darius reached out and gently touched his son's cheek.
Leo looked at him with wide, curious eyes.
"Are you my dad?" the little boy asked quietly.
Darius felt his heart swell with an overwhelming, unconditional love.
"Yes, buddy, I am your dad," Darius choked out.
Leo smiled and reached out, wrapping his small arms around Darius's neck.
Nia watched them, a soft, genuine smile breaking through her exhaustion.
Darius looked at the woman he had wronged, the woman who had fought to save him anyway.
"Nia, I spent seven years trying to forget you," he confessed.
"But the truth is, I never stopped loving you for a single second."
She stepped closer, resting her hand over his heart.
"I never stopped loving you either, Darius," she whispered.
May you like
He leaned down and kissed her, feeling the cold years of separation finally melt away.
It seemed that their long nightmare was finally over.
