Chapter 5 - The Raid on Sterling Holdings
The next morning, the financial empire built on lies began to crumble publicly.
I watched the news from the television in the study. Live footage showed federal agents out of the New York field office marching into the glass skyscraper of Sterling Holdings. Boxes of documents were being loaded into the backs of unmarked vans.
The headline ticker across the bottom of the screen read: CEOS OF STERLING HOLDINGS ARRESTED IN MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR FEDERAL FRAUD SCHEME.
David and Margaret had been taken into federal custody directly from the airport tarmac. Because it was a federal case involving massive financial fraud and a demonstrated flight risk, bail was denied. They were being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center.
But a cornered beast still has teeth.
Later that afternoon, a sleek black sedan pulled up to my father’s driveway. A man in a bespoke gray suit stepped out, carrying a leather briefcase. It was Arthur Pendelton, the senior partner of the prestigious defense firm representing the Sterling family.
My father and I met him in the formal living room. I sat on the sofa, my crutches leaning against the cushions, refusing to look weak.
"Mr. Pendelton," my father said coldly, not offering his hand. "To what do we owe the displeasure?"
Pendelton sighed, sitting opposite us and opening his briefcase. "Judge Vance, Sarah... let’s not play games. My clients are in a very difficult position. But let’s be realistic. A federal trial will take years. It will drag your family name through the mud. The press will dig into Sarah’s past, her medical records, everything."
"There are no medical records that support his lies, Arthur," I said, my voice cutting like ice. "I’ve already had an independent psychological evaluation completed by the state’s top forensic psychiatrist. I am perfectly sane. David, however, is a sociopath."
Pendelton didn't blink. "Be that as it may, we are prepared to offer a settlement. Full restitution of the trust fund. A quiet, uncontested divorce. You get sole custody of Emma. In exchange, you provide an affidavit stating that the financial transactions were a misunderstanding, and you refuse to testify as a witness for the prosecution."
I let out a short, sharp laugh. "You want me to save him?"
"I want you to think about your daughter," Pendelton said, his voice dropping to a manipulative whisper. "Do you really want her father spending the next thirty years in a federal penitentiary? Think of the stigma."
My father stood up, his presence filling the room with an undeniable authority. "Arthur, you have exactly thirty seconds to pack your papers and get off my property before I have my security team throw you into the street."
"Judge—"
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"Sarah is not a victim looking for a payout," William said, pointing a finger at the door. "She is the chief witness for the United States Government. Your clients didn't just break her leg; they tried to steal her life. Tell David and Margaret to prepare for trial. Because we are going to burn their empire to the ground."
Pendelton closed his briefcase, his face pale. He knew then that the Sterling name no longer carried any weight. They were going to trial, and they were going to lose.
