Chapter 5 - Grand Larceny on 5th Avenue
Dominic stood on the sidewalk outside his office building, screaming at the top of his lungs.
"You can't do this! Do you know who I am?!" he yelled at the property manager, who was calmly supervising two moving men carrying a server rack out of the lobby. "I am Dominic Rossi! We have a signed lease!"
"Actually, Mr. Rossi, you don't," the property manager said, handing him a thick folder of documents. "Your lease was signed under Rossi Technologies LLC. However, your corporate registration was suspended three hours ago by the state licensing board due to a failure to report foreign investment structures. Since the legal entity no longer exists in good standing, your lease is null and void."
"That's a lie!" Dominic shrieked. "We filed those papers!"
"Take it up with Brooks Global, Mr. Rossi," the manager said, stepping back inside the lobby as the heavy glass doors locked automatically behind him.
Dominic spun around, his face purple with rage. His parents and sister Natalie were standing near the curb, looking panicked.
"Dominic, what is going on?" Victoria cried, clutching her designer purse. "Why are they taking your computers? Where is the Vanguard money?"
"The bank frozen the account!" Dominic yelled, pulling at his hair. "I don't understand! Everything was fine this morning! It’s like someone just flipped a switch and erased my company!"
"It must be a glitch," Arthur muttered. "Call your legal team, Dominic. Threaten to sue them."
"I tried! Their phones are going straight to voicemail! Even our corporate attorney’s firm is owned by a subsidiary of Brooks Global!"
Just then, the sound of a police siren echoed down 5th Avenue.
Dominic let out a breath of relief. "Thank god. The police are here. I'll have them arrest these movers for trespassing."
A police cruiser pulled up to the curb, followed immediately by a second, and then a third. Six officers stepped out, their expressions grim and professional.
Dominic ran toward them. "Officers! Thank goodness you’re here. These people are illegally evicting my business and stealing my proprietary equipment—"
"Are you Dominic Rossi?" the lead officer interrupted, his hand resting on his holster.
"Yes, I am. And I demand you—"
"Step away from the vehicle, sir," the officer ordered, pointing toward the black luxury SUV parked in the loading zone.
Dominic blinked, confused. "My vehicle? Why? That's my SUV."
"We received a report of a stolen vehicle fitting this exact description, registered to an Audrey Brooks," the officer said, pulling out a set of handcuffs. "The registered owner has filed grand larceny charges against you."
"Audrey?!" Dominic laughed, though it sounded high-pitched and hysterical. "Audrey is my wife! She didn't report this stolen. She’s probably at home cleaning the kitchen right now. This is a misunderstanding. I have the keys right here."
He reached into his pocket to pull out the key fob, but the moment his hand moved, two officers grabbed his arms, slamming him face-first against the warm hood of the SUV.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" Dominic screamed as his arms were forced behind his back and the metal cuffs clicked shut around his wrists. "You can't arrest me! Do you know who my investors are?! I'm a CEO!"
"You're a grand larceny suspect, buddy," the officer said, pulling him up. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you."
"Dominic!" Victoria shrieked, running forward, but an officer blocked her path. "You can't touch my son! This is our car! Our family—"
"Ma'am, if you interfere with an arrest, you will be joining him in the wagon," the officer warned coldly.
Natalie stood on the sidewalk, her jaw dropped, her expensive phone slipping from her fingers and cracking against the concrete.
As Dominic was loaded into the back of the police cruiser, his eyes caught the license plate of the SUV he had driven so proudly for two years.
May you like
7-BROOKS.
For the first time in his life, the name Brooks didn't sound like a retired contractor. It sounded like a death sentence.
