Chapter 9 - The Verdict
The morning sun broke over Miami, casting a pale, unforgiving light on the city.
The live stream had broken the internet. By 6:00 AM, the FBI, the SEC, and the IRS had formed a joint task force. When the police finally arrived at the abandoned warehouse, guided by an anonymous tip, they didn't find Elias Thorne.
They found Donovan Cross, sitting alone in the metal chair, staring blankly at the wall. He didn't resist when the tactical team burst through the doors. He didn't speak when they slapped the heavy steel handcuffs on his wrists.
The media circus that followed was unprecedented. Arthur Vance and the other billionaires filed massive civil suits. Senator Julian Cross was forced to resign in disgrace pending a federal investigation into his campaign finances. Chloe, the runaway fiancée, was arrested at the airport trying to smuggle a million dollars in stolen diamonds.
The empire of Donovan Cross was systematically dismantled, sold off for scrap to pay back the thousands of blue-collar workers whose pensions he had gambled away.
Elias Thorne watched the indictment live from the balcony of a pristine, ultra-modern penthouse overlooking the ocean. He wore a perfectly tailored suit, a glass of expensive scotch in his hand. He had reclaimed his name, his freedom, and his wealth.
His phone buzzed. It was his lawyer.
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"Elias, the judge just denied Cross’s bail. He’s being transferred to a maximum-security federal penitentiary in Florence, Colorado. He’s facing a hundred and fifty years."
"Good," Elias murmured. "Make sure his commissary account stays at zero. I don't want him buying so much as a candy bar."
