Chapter 8 - The Price of Treason
“Nobody in this room should speak another word without their criminal defense lawyers present,” I said, standing up and smoothing down the lapels of my blazer.
Walter looked like he was having a heart attack. He loosened his silk tie, his breathing shallow and rapid. “Claire... listen to me. We’re family. We can resolve this internally. The transfers to Aegis Supply... that was an investment vehicle. We can unwind the transactions today! Every single dollar will be wired back into the LuminaTech accounts by five o'clock!”
“You’re damn right it will,” I said coldly. “Along with twelve percent compounding statutory interest, and an immediate, unconditional dissolution of Corbin’s operational authority at the company.”
Corbin stared at me, his eyes bloodshot, trembling with a mixture of rage and utter humiliation. “Claire, please... you can't do this to me. I’m your husband. We built this life together!”
“You didn't build a single brick of this life, Corbin,” I said, stepping right up to him. The man who had terrorized my kitchen twelve hours ago now looked like a frightened, hollow shell. “My father built this company. I earned these patents. You were just a charming freeloader who mistook my patience for weakness.”
I opened my briefcase one last time and pulled out three distinct legal folders, tossing them onto the mahogany table.
“Folder one is an emergency divorce petition citing irreconcilable differences and gross financial fraud,” I stated. “You will sign the waiver of service and agree to zero spousal support, zero claims on the Crestview Drive estate, and zero equity in LuminaTech Solutions.”
Corbin didn't even pick it up. He just stared at the blue binding as if it were a venomous snake.
“Folder two is a formal criminal complaint drafted for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District, naming Corbin Lombardi, Walter Lombardi, and Diane Lombardi as co-conspirators in an interstate money-laundering enterprise.”
Diane let out a strangled gasp, clutching her husband’s arm so hard her knuckles turned white. “Claire, no! Walter’s license... our children... you can't destroy our entire lives over a misunderstanding!”
“It wasn't a misunderstanding when you fed defamatory lies to a local newspaper this morning, Diane,” I countered, turning my glare upon her like a blast furnace. “Which brings me to folder three. That is a thirty-million-dollar defamation and tortious interference lawsuit against you personally, Walter’s firm, and the publisher of The Bellhaven Citizen Voice.”
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The room was as silent as a tomb.
“You have until four o'clock this afternoon to execute the divorce settlement, wire the two million dollars back into my commercial reserves, and publish a full, front-page retraction and apology in every local outlet,” I said, turning toward the double doors. “If my legal team does not receive the verified bank confirmation by four-zero-one... the FBI gets the flash drive.”
