Chapter 11 - THE FIRE AT HARBOR STREET
Fire consumed the warehouse within minutes.
Charles had planned to destroy everything.
But he had made one fatal mistake.
Federal investigators had already removed most of the physical evidence.
And Rachel had copied the servers hours earlier.
Charles didn’t know that.
Police entered the boathouse.
Victor Dane surrendered.
The second man tried to escape and was caught near the marina.
Charles remained perfectly calm as officers approached.
“You have nothing,” he told Arthur.
Arthur looked at him.
“We have you.”
Charles laughed.
“For what?”
“Threats?”
“A family argument?”
“A warehouse fire you can’t connect to me?”
Then Victoria spoke.
“I can.”
Charles turned.
Victoria looked at the officers.
“My father ordered the Harbor Street destruction three days ago.”
Charles stared at her.
“You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“Yes, I do.”
Victoria’s voice trembled.
But she continued.
“I heard him tell Victor to prepare the site.”
Victor looked toward Charles.
Then toward the police.
Suddenly, loyalty didn’t seem attractive anymore.
“I can confirm that,” Victor said.
Charles’s face changed.
Marcus arrived minutes later with Daniel.
When Charles saw both children standing together, something inside him finally cracked.
“You ungrateful little fools.”
Marcus said nothing.
Charles pointed at Victoria.
“Everything you have came from me.”
Victoria shook her head.
“That was the problem.”
Police escorted Charles away.
But the case was far from finished.
Over the next three weeks, investigators uncovered more than thirty shell companies.
Fourteen employee identities had been used without authorization.
Several executives resigned.
Two public officials became subjects of separate investigations.
Ashford Residential’s board removed Charles as chairman.
His assets were frozen.
Sterling Development was cleared of wrongdoing after forensic evidence proved Arthur’s credentials had been copied and used without his authorization.
But Arthur’s personal life remained shattered.
One evening, Victoria returned to the house with Daniel present.
She packed her clothes quietly.
Arthur stood in the doorway.
Neither knew what to say.
Finally Victoria closed her suitcase.
“I keep thinking about Maya.”
Arthur said nothing.
“She was afraid of me.”
“Yes.”
Victoria swallowed.
“I told myself she was weak.”
Arthur looked at her.
“She wasn’t.”
“I know.”
Victoria sat on the edge of the bed.
“I think I hated seeing people who could survive without power.”
Arthur frowned.
She continued.
“My whole life, Dad taught us that if someone could hurt you, you hurt them first.”
“And you believed him.”
“For too long.”
Arthur nodded.
Victoria looked toward him.
“Do you hate me?”
“No.”
That surprised her.
Arthur continued.
“But I don’t trust you.”
She lowered her eyes.
“And I can’t stay married to someone I don’t trust.”
Victoria nodded slowly.
“I understand.”
Arthur handed her an envelope.
Divorce papers.
She stared at them.
A tear slipped down her cheek.
Arthur didn’t celebrate.
He didn’t feel victorious.
Sometimes the right decision still hurt.
Victoria signed.
Before leaving, she stopped at the bedroom door.
“Arthur?”
“Yes?”
“I am going to testify.”
“You should.”
“Not for a deal.”
Arthur looked at her.
“For Maya.”
Victoria shook her head.
“No.”
Her voice was quiet.
“For me.”
Arthur understood.
For the first time, Victoria was accepting that redemption couldn’t be something she performed for someone else.
She had to choose it even if nobody forgave her.
She left.
Arthur watched the car disappear.
Then his phone rang.
It was Rachel.
“We found something in the recovered Harbor Street server.”
Arthur sighed.
“What now?”
“A trust account.”
“Whose?”
Rachel paused.
“Maya Torres.”
Arthur became still.
“What?”
“There’s more than three million dollars in it.”
Arthur stared into the empty hallway.
“Why would Charles Ashford create an account in Maya’s name?”
May you like
Rachel’s answer changed the entire case.
“I don’t think Charles created it.”
