Chapter 7 - The Downfall
The corporate headquarters of Vanguard Financial Partners occupied the top three floors of a gleaming glass skyscraper downtown. When we arrived, the atmosphere was bustling, filled with sharp-suited executives moving with purpose.
Ethan was at his desk in an open-plan office suite, trying desperately to look busy, though the dark circles under his eyes and his slightly wrinkled shirt gave away his disastrous night. He had likely spent the night on a friend's couch or in a cheap motel after his cards were declined.
When he saw Arthur, Maya, and me walking toward the executive boardroom accompanied by two corporate security guards and a pair of plainclothes police detectives, his face turned ash-gray. He stood up, his laptop nearly sliding off his desk.
"Maya?" he called out, his voice cracking with panic. "What are you doing here? We need to talk. We can fix this!"
Maya didn't even pause. She walked past him as if he were made of glass, her head held high, her eyes fixed forward. The utter dismissal was a sharper blow to his ego than any insult could have been.
Inside the boardroom, the managing partners were already waiting, their expressions grave. Arthur wasted no time. Within ten minutes, he presented the forensic accounting evidence, the forged signature documents, and the tracking path of the embezzled funds directly into Ethan’s private accounts.
The managing director, a stern man named Mr. Sterling (no relation to us, but a man of immense integrity), looked at the documents and then looked at Ethan, who had been brought into the room by security.
"Ethan," Mr. Sterling said, his voice dripping with disgust. "Vanguard Financial has a zero-tolerance policy for criminal misconduct. The evidence presented by Mr. Vance is absolute. You are terminated effective immediately. Furthermore, we are cooperating fully with the District Attorney's office regarding the charges of corporate fraud and identity theft."
"Sir, please!" Ethan begged, dropping to his knees in front of the desk, completely devoid of the arrogance he had displayed the night before. "It was a mistake! I was going to pay it back! My wife... she's just angry because of a domestic dispute! She’s trying to ruin me!"
The detective stepped forward, placing a heavy hand on Ethan’s shoulder. "Ethan Vance, you are under arrest for grand larceny, forgery, and domestic assault based on medical evidence filed earlier today. You have the right to remain silent."
As the handcuffs clicked shut around Ethan’s wrists, he let out a pathetic sob. He looked at Maya, his eyes wide with desperate pleading. "Maya, please! Tell them it’s a lie! I love you! You can't do this to me!"
May you like
Maya walked up to him, standing just inches away from the man who had terrified her for years. She looked down at him, her expression entirely neutral, free from both anger and pity.
"You told me last night that I was nothing without you, Ethan," she said softly, her voice carrying clearly across the silent boardroom. "But it turns out, you were only someone because of me. Have a nice life in prison."
