Chapter 13 - The Collapse of Power
The fallout from the gala was swift and catastrophic for Julian’s faction. Armed federal investigators, tipped off by the digital copies Arthur had quietly uploaded to the authorities hours earlier, descended upon the Vance estate at dawn. Agents in dark windbreakers hauled boxes of evidence, hard drives, and financial records out of the basement archives. Julian was caught trying to flee through the private helipad, his face pale and defeated as handcuffs were locked around his wrists. The board members who had enabled his actions scrambled to distance themselves, resigning in mass disgrace before emergency votes could be cast. Within twenty-four hours, the media had picked up the story, exposing the dark underbelly of the prestigious Vance family. Inside the mansion, the heavy air of oppression finally began to lift. The marble floors no longer felt like a prison, but a blank canvas. Arthur stood by the tall arched windows of his study, watching the police cruisers drive away down the long driveway. Clara walked into the room, holding a simple cup of black coffee, her posture relaxed, the shadows of fear completely gone from her eyes.
