Chapter 8 - The Price of Treason
The fall of Finch Global Holdings was swift and merciless.
With Bennett removed and facing federal charges, the company’s board voted to liquidate its primary assets to satisfy outstanding debt obligations to the Sterling Trust. Within three weeks, the once-mighty financial empire had ceased to exist, its subsidiaries bought up for pennies on the dollar by ethical investment groups.
Margot Vance, having signed the full confession, pled guilty to reduced misdemeanor charges. Her reputation in Phoenix high society was completely destroyed, her designer wardrobe pawned to pay her legal fees, and she was sentenced to 500 hours of mandatory community service—cleaning the very hospital concourse at St. Jude’s where she had kicked me.
Bennett’s trial was short. Faced with overwhelming digital evidence of embezzlement, non-profit tax fraud, and Margot’s devastating testimony, his defense collapsed. He accepted a plea agreement that sentenced him to four years in a federal correctional facility, along with thirty million dollars in court-ordered restitution.
On the day Bennett was transported to the federal penitentiary, I sat in Uncle Arthur’s private study at the Sterling estate in Paradise Valley.
The estate was a magnificent sanctuary of stone, glass, and desert flora, nestled against the side of Camelback Mountain. The sun was setting, casting a deep crimson glow over the swimming pool and the mountain peaks beyond.
Arthur walked into the study carrying two mugs of warm chamomile tea. He handed one to me and sat down in the leather armchair across from mine.
“Victoria just called,” Arthur said gently. “Bennett has officially signed the final divorce decree and relinquished all parental rights. It’s over, Tessa. Completely over.”
I took a sip of the warm tea, letting the relief wash through me. “I thought I would feel angry,” I murmured, looking out at the sunset. “Or maybe sad for the time I wasted with him. But I just feel… light.”
“That’s because you’re no longer carrying his weight,” Arthur said. “You spent three years trying to fit into a world that was too small for you, with a man who was terrified of your true potential.”
He looked at my large, round belly. “How is my grand-niece doing today?”
“She’s eager,” I smiled, placing my hand over the visible bump under my soft cashmere sweater. “Dr. Chen says she could arrive any day now.”
Arthur’s eyes softened with an emotion I rarely saw in the formidable medical tycoon—pure, unadulterated devotion. “When my sister died ten years ago, I thought the brightest light in our family had gone out. But looking at you now, Tessa… you have her courage. You have her heart.”
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“I couldn't have done this without you, Uncle Arthur,” I said softly.
“Nonsense,” Arthur scoffed playfully. “I just provided the heavy artillery. You were the one who stood up off that marble floor.”
