Nobody had cared that refusing to ignore suspicious transactions had cost me my career and reputation.
Instead, they had made me feel ashamed of telling the truth.
“Family business?” I repeated, my voice echoing with years of suppressed grief. “You spent nearly a decade making me ashamed of telling the truth. You let me believe I was crazy so you could keep playing pretend in your country clubs. You financed your entire fake life on my destruction, and then on stolen money.”
Mercer stepped between us.
His presence forced Eleanor to release my wrist.
“This conversation is over,” Mercer declared, his voice carrying the finality of a judge’s gavel. “Eleanor, Richard, I suggest you retain federal defense counsel immediately. The FBI has already frozen your trust accounts. Vanessa, your employment ends today. Harrison & Vance will contact you regarding the civil recovery of the four million dollars in stolen funds. You will be prosecuted to the absolute fullest extent of the law. I will see to it personally. Good evening.”
