Chapter 17 - The Shadow of the Past|
At midnight, as the gala wound down, I stood near the private terrace of the Drake Hotel, sipping a quiet scotch while Alina talked with her mother near the entrance.
My attorney, Henry Sterling, walked up beside me, holding a thick leather folder.
"Dante," Henry said quietly. "The federal prosecutors wrapped up Marcus’s trial in federal court today."
I took a slow sip of my drink. "What’s the sentence?"
"Twenty-five years without parole for corporate fraud, embezzlement, and conspiracy," Henry reported grimly. "Director Vance and his associates received fifteen years each."
I nodded slowly, feeling no anger, no malice—only a profound, peaceful sense of finality.
"Is the Vance Manufacturing debt completely cleared?" I asked.
"Completely," Henry confirmed, sliding a blue document toward me. "The firm is operating at a forty-percent profit margin under your new restructuring plan. Alina’s father officially retired yesterday, handing full executive control to her younger brother."
"Good," I said, setting my glass down. "Thank you, Henry."
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I looked across the glittering ballroom at Alina, who was laughing warmly as she hugged her mother.
The woman who had once cried behind a half-open door, believing she was a burden to my life, was now the strongest, most radiant anchor I had ever known.
