Chapter 22 - Confession in the Dark
Brought in for questioning under a mountain of irrefutable federal indictments, Viktor Sterling was locked inside a sterile interrogation room. The door swung open, and instead of a federal marshal, Augustus Carver walked in, casting a long, heavy shadow across the metal table. Augustus didn’t shout or threaten; he simply sat down, resting his folded hands on the surface, staring at Viktor with an expression of profound disappointment. "You spent your whole life studying ledgers, Viktor, but you forgot to study people," Augustus said softly, his voice cutting like glass. "You thought my daughter was an easy target because she once wore an apron and served coffee." Viktor, sweating profusely in his tailored suit, sneered weakly. "You can't touch me. My legal team will—" "Your legal team abandoned you twenty minutes ago," Augustus interrupted calmly. "Your assets are seized, your offshore accounts are frozen, and by sunset, you will be sharing a cell block with Richard Vance." The realization of absolute, inescapable ruin crashed over Viktor, causing him to slump backward into his chair, utterly broken.
