“You didn’t pay a beggar, Julian,” Lando said smoothly, his tone laced with a terrifyingly calm precision. “You paid the executive director of the Federal Financial Intelligence and Assets Bureau. I’ve been tracking your firm’s illegal offshore money laundering for fourteen months, and your pathetic little ego just provided the perfect public venue to serve the final warrant.”
Before Julian could even draw a breath, the heavy oak doors of the cathedral violently swung open. Flocks of armed federal agents and forensic auditors flooded the aisles, blocking every exit and pushing past the stunned socialites and politicians.
“Julian Vance,” Lando continued, stepping down from the altar and pulling a gold-embossed badge from inside his tattered jacket. “As of 11:30 AM, your corporate assets have been permanently frozen under federal anti-racketeering laws. Your signature on the five-million-peso medical trust for Clara’s mother was verified by our electronic system ten minutes ago—and because that money was routed through a clean federal escrow account to protect the patient, it is the only transaction of yours that won’t be seized by the state.”
Leave a Comment