Chapter 5 - Unraveling the WebWithin forty-eight hours of Garrett’s arrest, the federal investigation blew wide open, exposing a criminal enterprise that extended far beyond our family estate.
Federal agents raided ApexCorp’s regional headquarters in Atlanta, seizing servers, financial ledgers, and illicit pharmaceutical stockpiles. The "warm milk" protocol Garrett had administered to me for three years was analyzed by independent toxicologists at Johns Hopkins University, confirming the presence of a proprietary synthetic compliance drug designed to induce memory suppression and physical fatigue without leaving standard coroner traces.
Penelope was arrested the following afternoon at a private maternity clinic in Charleston as she attempted to board a private flight to the Cayman Islands using a passport funded by embezzled shipyard accounts. When cornered by federal agents, she immediately pointed the finger at Garrett, handing over text messages, encrypted emails, and voice memos detailing every step of the conspiracy—including their plan to frame Tobias's permanent disability as a genetic condition to justify seizing full control of our family estate.
Tobias and I spent hours with federal prosecutors in a secure conference room overlooking the Baltimore harbor, laying out every document, every corporate maneuver, and every fraudulent document Garrett had filed since our parents' fatal crash fifteen years ago.
"The crash that killed Mom and Dad," I said, looking across the table at Agent Miller. "Can we reopen that investigation now?"
"We already have," Agent Miller replied, sliding a thick manila folder across the desk. "Garrett’s father was the primary consulting engineer on the stretch of coastal highway where your parents' car went off the cliff. The brake lines were severed using the exact same mechanical technique Garrett used on your SUV."
I closed my eyes, letting out a breath I felt like I had been holding for fifteen years.
"Justice is coming, Rosie," Tobias said softly, placing his hand over mine. "For Mom. For Dad. And for us."
May you like
"Not yet," I replied, opening my eyes with a cold, clear resolve. "First, we take back what belongs to our family."
The emergency board meeting was called for Friday morning. This time, there were no ghost stories, no surprises, and no deception. Just two rightful heirs sitting at the head of the table, ready to rebuild what had been stolen from the ashes.
