Chapter 6 - The Fall of the House of HailVictor wasn't exaggerating.
By midday, the news channels broadcasting on the flatscreen TV in the Salvatore estate library were dominated by a massive corporate and criminal scandal shaking downtown Chicago.
“Breaking News: Federal agents and financial crimes task forces have raided the downtown headquarters of Hail Real Estate Development following an anonymous, high-level whistleblower dossier delivered to federal prosecutors this morning...”
Footage flashed on the screen showing federal agents carrying boxes of files out of Derek’s sleek glass-fronted office building. Reporters swarmed the entrance, shouting questions about massive embezzlement, investor fraud, and ties to organized crime money laundering.
Then, another headline appeared:
“Local developer Derek Hail has been detained for questioning following allegations of domestic abuse and violent assault tied to confidential medical records released to authorities earlier today...”
I stood frozen in front of the television, watching the anchors broadcast mugshots and court filings. Derek Hail—the untouchable, arrogant prince of Chicago real estate—was handcuffed and led into a squad car, his face pale, his tailored suit rumpled, looking like the pathetic, frightened coward he truly was.
The nightmare was over.
The man who had kept me locked in a cage of fear for five years was finally facing a cage of his own.
Heavy footsteps sounded behind me. I turned to see Victor walking into the library, holding a slim leather folder. He glanced at the TV screen, then back at me.
"It's done," Victor said quietly. "His assets have been frozen by federal courts. His bail request was denied because the prosecutor classified him as an immediate flight risk due to his offshore accounts. Derek Hail will spend the next ten to twenty years behind bars."
I let out a breath I felt like I had been holding for half a decade. My shoulders dropped, and the phantom weight under my ribs seemed to vanish into thin air.
"I don't even know how to thank you," I whispered, looking up at him. "You didn't just save me from a gala. You gave me my life back."
Victor walked closer, stopping just a few feet away. His gray eyes were warm, filled with a depth of emotion I hadn't expected from a man feared by half the underworld.
"You don't need to thank me, Lena," he said softly. "You survived a monster on your own for five years. All I did was open the door so you could finally walk out into the light."
He held out the slim leather folder. "Inside here are new identification documents, a secure bank account funded independently of Derek's stolen assets, and a deed to a quiet, beautiful home in the Pacific Northwest—or anywhere else in the world you want to start over. You can leave whenever you're ready. No strings attached."
I looked down at the folder, then back up at Victor.
May you like
For the first time in my life, I had absolute freedom. I could go anywhere, be anyone, leave the dark shadows of Chicago behind forever and never look back.
So why did my chest tighten at the thought of walking away?
