Chapter 7 - The Collapse of an Empire
Marcus Vance’s bodyguards dropped their weapons to the concrete floor with a heavy metallic clatter, their hands raised slowly in the air.
Vance stared at them in disbelief before turning his gaze back to Roman. The older man’s face was pale, sweat beading on his forehead despite the chill in the warehouse.
"You can't touch me here, Roman," Vance bluffed, his voice tight with rising panic. "The federal authorities have oversight on these docks. If you shoot me, you'll spend the rest of your life in a federal penitentiary."
"I'm not going to shoot you, Marcus," Roman said coldly. "That would be too quick. Too clean."
Roman pulled the black leather ledger from his coat pocket and tossed it onto the metal crate in front of Vance.
"In thirty minutes, federal tax agents and maritime investigators will arrive at this facility," Roman explained, his tone devoid of emotion. "They will seize every container, freeze every corporate asset tied to your name, and audit every shell company you've operated since 2020. Your empire is finished before sunset."
Vance lunged forward, grabbing the ledger as if inspecting it could somehow change the numbers inside. "You're bluffing. You don't have enough to bring down the whole network—"
"Check your phone," Roman interrupted.
As if on cue, Vance’s expensive smartphone buzzed violently in his breast pocket. With shaking hands, Vance pulled it out and stared at the screen. Alerts were flashing in rapid succession: bank accounts frozen, international wire transfers blocked, federal warrants executed at his primary downtown headquarters.
Vance dropped the phone. It shattered against the concrete floor.
"You ruined me," Vance whispered, staring at Roman with unmasked terror.
"No, Marcus," Roman turned his back, walking slowly toward the exit. "You ruined yourself when you decided my family was collateral damage for your portfolio. Thomas, make sure federal custody takes good care of him."
"Right behind you, boss," Thomas replied, gesturing for the security team to secure Vance and his associates.
May you like
As Roman stepped back out into the rain, the heavy grey clouds overhead seemed to be breaking, letting a faint, pale beam of afternoon sunlight pierce through the mist above the Chicago skyline.
The war was over. The truth was out.
