Chapter 5 - The House of Cards Crumbles
"Charlotte, what did you do?!" Ryan roared, storming across the ballroom floor towards my table. His face was purple with rage. Vanessa was already running toward the emergency exit, hiding her face from the cameras.
I stood up slowly, smoothing the skirt of my black designer dress. I looked him dead in the eye. "I'm just ensuring the Ambrose family's famous 'transparency,' Ryan."
"You crazy bitch! I'll sue you for everything you own! Half of your business is mine!" he screamed, stepping into my personal space.
Before he could grab my arm, two large security guards—whom I had hired personally—stepped between us, pushing him back.
"Actually, Ryan," I said, my voice projecting clearly over the commotion, "you own nothing. My lawyers filed for divorce this morning. Furthermore, because you forged my signature on corporate documents to embezzle six million dollars, the prenuptial agreement is not only active, it’s entirely in my favor. You breached the fidelity and fraud clauses."
Janelle rushed over, tears streaming down her face, her emerald gown suddenly looking like a cheap costume. "Charlotte, please! You're humiliating us! We are family!"
"We were never family, Janelle," I replied coldly. "You used me as an ATM while insulting my character. You preached about class, but you sold your dignity in a muddy parking lot. You have twenty-four hours to vacate my house in La Jolla."
"Your house?" Ryan scoffed, though his voice was shaking. "That house is in both our names!"
"You might want to check your email, Ryan," I smiled. "I haven't just been planning a slideshow. I've been working with federal authorities. Since you used interstate wires to transfer stolen corporate funds to offshore accounts, the FBI took a keen interest. The house, the cars, your accounts—they were all frozen an hour ago as proceeds of crime."
Right on cue, the heavy double doors of the ballroom swung open. Four men in suits, flashing FBI badges, walked purposefully into the room.
"Ryan Ambrose?" the lead agent called out.
Ryan took a step back, looking around like a trapped animal. Janelle began to hyperventilate, collapsing onto a nearby chair.
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"You are under arrest for wire fraud, embezzlement, and tax evasion," the agent stated, grabbing Ryan's arms and turning him around to cuff him.
The elite crowd watched in stunned, horrified silence as the heir to the Ambrose legacy was marched out in handcuffs. I didn't feel an ounce of regret. I just felt light.
