Chapter 9 - Behind Steel BarsSix months later.
The high concrete walls of the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility were cold and gray against the winter sky. I was escorted into a small, windowless visitor's room, separated from the cell blocks by a thick sheet of reinforced glass.
I had come to sign the final corporate dissolution papers, a legal formality that required Evan’s physical signature to permanently erase his name from any remaining assets linked to my father’s trust.
Evan sat across from me, his orange jumpsuit rumpled, his face thin, haggard, and completely drained of life. His once-perfect hair was messy and unkempt.
"You came," he whispered, his voice raspy and hollow against the glass partition. "I thought you had completely forgotten about me."
"I came to finish the business of my family, Evan," I said, my voice smooth, cold, and professional. "Sign the transfer documents through the slot. All your remaining corporate entitlements are being converted into a private trust for Leah’s new startup. You have nothing left."
Evan looked at the paper, a bitter, pathetic smile touching his lips. "Leah... she got everything in the end, didn't she?"
"She got what was rightfully hers, Evan," I said, my voice flat. "And you got exactly what you earned."
His hands shook as he took the pen, his signature scribbled at the bottom of the page. "Claire... the nights in here are a living hell. The other inmates know what I did to you. They know about the poisoning. Please, tell your prosecutor friend to move me to a protective wing."
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"You should have thought about that before you put those pills in my vitamins, Evan," I said, standing up and sliding the papers into my bag. "The cage you built for me was comfortable. Yours is steel. Enjoy the stay."
I walked out of the room, not looking back as the heavy steel door slid shut with a loud, final click, locking him away in the dark prison of his own greed.
