Chapter 5 - Evelyn's Public Reckoning
The ballroom at the Grand Regency Hotel was decorated in gold and white. Evelyn sat at the head table surrounded by her inner circle of country club acquaintances, holding court as she regaled them with stories of her family’s prominence.
“My son, Carter, essentially runs the logistics empire in Texas,” Evelyn was saying, sipping her champagne. “It takes a real man to carry that kind of weight.”
The heavy double doors of the ballroom opened.
I walked in, accompanied by David and two uniformed Process Servers. The room went quiet as the sudden shift in energy took hold. Evelyn’s smile faltered, replaced by a dark scowl as I approached her table.
“Maya? What are you doing here? You aren’t invited to—”
“Evelyn Vance,” the lead process server interrupted, stepping forward and placing a thick stack of legal documents directly onto her plate, next to her dessert fork. “You are formally served with a lawsuit for corporate fraud, civil conspiracy, and grand theft, along with an emergency injunction freezing all accounts associated with Apex Strategy Group.”
Gasps erupted around the table. Evelyn leaped up, turning purple. “How dare you! This is harassment! Carter!”
“Carter can’t help you, Evelyn,” I said, stepping forward. “He’s currently at the police station giving his statement to the fraud unit.”
I turned to the surrounding guests, speaking with calm clarity. “For eighteen months, Evelyn Vance and my estranged husband embezzled nearly half a million dollars from my company to fund her lavish lifestyle and private real estate. Every dollar she spent bragging to you was stolen from my hard work.”
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Evelyn reached out to slap me, but a police officer who had accompanied us stepped in, catching her wrist.
“Evelyn Vance, you are under arrest for corporate theft and obstruction,” the officer announced, putting her in handcuffs right in front of her high-society peers.
