Chapter 7 - THE FALL OF THE WOLF
Three days later, the glass-and-steel headquarters of Sterling Holdings was buzzing with nervous energy. Rumors had been swirling through the financial markets since morning: Thompson Global had quietly acquired a controlling majority stake in Sterling’s primary debt holders, and the federal Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had just frozen all of Sterling’s corporate assets under suspicion of racketeering and child exploitation.
Julian Sterling stood in his executive penthouse office, his face pale with panic, shouting furiously into his phone.
"What do you mean my accounts are frozen?! Talk to the judge! Pay off whoever you have to!" Sterling roared, slamming the phone down onto his desk.
The heavy oak double doors of his office suddenly swung open.
Marcus Thompson walked in, flanked by Viktor and two federal marshals. Marcus didn't raise his voice; he didn't need to. His presence alone commanded the entire room.
"It's over, Julian," Marcus said smoothly, walking toward the desk and placing a thick stack of federal indictment papers right in front of the panicked corporate raider.
Sterling sneered, trying to mask his terror with arrogance. "You think you can ruin me, Thompson? You have no proof connecting me to those thugs or the adoption ring!"
"The thugs you hired confessed within twenty minutes of being locked in federal custody," Marcus replied calmly, his eyes narrowing. "And the financial trail leading from Sterling Holdings straight to the Riverside Children’s Home slush fund has already been published by every major news outlet in the country. Your assets are seized, your board has voted to oust you, and federal marshals are here to escort you to a federal penitentiary."
Sterling lunged forward across the desk in a blind rage, but Viktor moved with lightning speed, pinning Sterling’s arms behind his back and forcing him down against the mahogany surface.
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"Take him away," Marcus ordered the federal marshals.
As Sterling was hauled out of the office in handcuffs, screaming obscenities that echoed down the hallway, Marcus adjusted his cuffs, took a deep breath, and turned around. The nightmare was over. The man who had tried to steal Grace's life—and her future—was finished forever.
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