Chapter 5 - The Glass Ceiling Shashes
I stood in the sterile, fluorescent-lit hallway of Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa. I had driven there immediately, ignoring Marcus’s warnings that I was walking directly into a trap. Maya had risked her life to save me; I couldn't abandon her now.
Two security guards stood outside her private room on the third floor.
As I approached, a figure stepped out of the room, blocking my path. It was Thomas Caldwell—Adrian’s older brother. He looked immaculate, his designer suit unwrinkled, but his eyes were bloodshot and wild.
"What are you doing here, Ashley?" Thomas hissed, his voice low and menacing. "Haven't you caused enough damage to this family?"
"How is she, Thomas?" I demanded, trying to peer past his shoulder.
"She’s in a medically induced coma," Thomas said, stepping closer, his physical presence intimidating. "She fell from the second-story balcony of our guest house. The police have already ruled it a tragic accident. She was sleepwalking."
"Sleepwalking?" I scoffed, my voice rising. "Like Clara’s 'skiing accident'? You expect me to believe that?"
Thomas’s face hardened into a mask of pure malice. He leaned in so close I could smell the expensive cologne and the faint trace of whiskey on his breath.
"You listen to me, you little social climber," he whispered. "You think you’re smart because you bought a little condo in the city? You are nothing to us. If you don't hand over that drive by tonight, we will make sure Maya’s life support is turned off. And then, we will come for you."
"Are you threatening my client, Mr. Caldwell?"
Thomas spun around to see Marcus Vance walking down the hallway, accompanied by two federal marshals in dark suits. The sight of the federal badges made Thomas instantly step back, his bravado vanishing.
"I’m just asking her to leave," Thomas stammered, his eyes darting between the marshals. "This is a private family matter."
"Not anymore, it’s not," Marcus said, handing Thomas a folded document. "This is a federal subpoena. Your assets, your father’s assets, and the entire financial portfolio of Caldwell Estates are being frozen under a federal asset forfeiture warrant. And this is a temporary protection order for Ashley Bennett and Maya Caldwell."
Thomas stared at the papers, his face turning an ash-gray color. "You... you can't do this. My father is—"
"Your father is currently being interviewed by the FBI," one of the marshals interrupted. "And as of ten minutes ago, your brother Adrian was rearrested on federal money laundering and conspiracy charges."
"No..." Thomas whispered, his hand shaking as he dropped the papers.
May you like
I looked past him through the small glass window of the hospital room. Maya lay on the bed, hooked up to a dozen machines, her face pale but breathing.
"You’re going to jail, Thomas," I said, my voice steady and filled with absolute certainty. "For what you did to Clara, for what you did to Maya, and for what you tried to do to me."
