Chapter 3 - The Morning Edition
The sun began to rise over the snowy landscape, painting the sky in pale pinks.
I sat in the diner booth, watching the morning news play on the small television.
The breaking news banner flashed in bright red across the bottom of the screen.
The headline announced a massive federal raid on the Sterling corporate headquarters.
The news anchor looked genuinely shocked as she read the preliminary charges.
Fraud, embezzlement, tax evasion, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
I took a slow sip of my coffee, feeling a profound sense of inner peace.
My phone started ringing non-stop, displaying frantic calls from my mother.
I watched her name flash on the screen until it went to voicemail.
Then my father called, followed by my furious brother.
They were trapped in a nightmare they could not wake up from.
The journalist I had called at midnight had just published his exclusive article.
The article detailed exactly how the Sterling family had stolen millions from their own investors.
It also included undeniable proof from the documents I had provided.
The world was finally seeing the monsters hiding behind the designer clothes.
Chloe’s pristine socialite reputation was completely shattered in a matter of hours.
There would be no royal destination wedding for my spoiled little sister.
Her fiancé’s powerful family would cancel the engagement by noon to avoid the scandal.
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I closed my laptop, tipped the waitress generously, and walked out into the daylight.
The heavy chains of my past were completely broken.
