Chapter 5 - The Erasure
Mark staggered backward, his knees visibly buckling. He looked toward the hallway for backup, but Rachel was already in tears, being quietly read her Miranda rights by the second officer.
"You set me up," Mark whispered, his eyes wide with horror as he realized the magnitude of the trap he had walked into.
"No, Mark," I corrected him softly. "I just let you execute your plan. I just made sure I had a better one."
The officer stepped forward, pulling a pair of steel handcuffs from his belt. "Mark Harrison, you are under arrest for corporate fraud, embezzlement, and conspiracy. Turn around and place your hands behind your back."
Mark didn't fight. He didn't have the spine for it. He let the officer turn him around, his shoulders completely slumped, the metal cuffs clicking shut with a sharp, final sound.
"Diane, please," Mark begged, tears welling in his eyes as they began to march him toward the door. "Sixteen years. You can't just throw me away. Please!"
I walked over to the door, stopping right in front of him.
"By tomorrow morning," I whispered, echoing the exact words he had spoken in the hallway when he thought I was broken, "everything will be mine."
I stepped aside.
The officers escorted Mark and Rachel down the back hallway of the Marriott, their heads bowed in absolute ruin, completely hidden from the elite donors who were still drinking champagne in the ballroom.
May you like
Robert closed his briefcase and looked at me. "Are you alright, Diane? The sedative..."
"I'm fine, Robert," I said, my voice steady, my vision perfectly clear. I turned toward the heavy doors that led back to the gala. "The board is waiting for me. I have a company to run."
