Chapter 18
Chapter 18: The Fall of Graham Vale
Graham sat frozen in his chair. His empire of lies had collapsed in exactly five minutes.
"As for you, Graham," Charlotte said, turning her icy gaze upon her uncle.
Before Graham could utter a single word of defense, the frosted glass doors swung open. Detective Russo stepped into the room, followed by two uniformed LAPD officers holding handcuffs.
"Graham Vale," Russo said, his voice carrying the heavy weight of the law. "You are under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, corporate fraud, and grand larceny."
The board members gasped in genuine horror, pressing themselves back into their leather chairs as the officers hauled Graham to his feet. They wrenched his arms behind his back, the steel cuffs clicking shut with a sound that felt like absolute justice.
Graham looked at Charlotte, his polished veneer completely destroyed. He looked small. He looked weak.
"You're just a little girl," Graham spat, a pathetic, desperate attempt to reclaim some shred of dignity. "You can't run this place."
"Watch me," Charlotte whispered.
May you like
As the officers dragged him out into the corridor, Charlotte caught sight of Veronica Hale standing by the elevators. Veronica was clutching a designer handbag, her face pale, watching her future husband being hauled away like a common criminal. The high-society life she had schemed for was burning to ashes before her eyes.
When Veronica locked eyes with Charlotte, the heiress didn't say a word. She simply offered a cold, dismissive smile, and the boardroom doors swung shut.
