Chapter 12 - The Federal Raid
The day after Chloe went to the DA to cut a deal, the FBI moved in.
I stood on the sidewalk across the street, holding a cup of hot coffee, watching as three black tactical vans pulled up to the sleek, glass-fronted skyscraper that housed Julian’s logistics company.
Dozens of agents in windbreakers swarmed the building. Yellow crime scene tape was slapped across the revolving doors. Employees were escorted out carrying cardboard boxes of personal items.
The federal prosecutor had used the audit files I provided to secure a massive search warrant. They seized hard drives, physical ledgers, and offshore banking tokens. The magnitude of Julian’s fraud was staggering. He had stolen over fifteen million dollars from private investors and pension funds.
My phone buzzed. It was Maya.
"Are you watching it, Dad?" she asked.
"Front row seat, sweetheart," I smiled. "They’re hauling out boxes of evidence right now."
"Good," she said, her voice full of closure. "He built his whole identity on that company. He used it to make me feel small. Now it's just a crime scene."
"How are you feeling?" I asked.
May you like
"Free," Maya replied. "For the first time in three years, I woke up and I wasn't afraid. I’m going shopping today, Dad. And I’m going to buy whatever shoes I want."
I chuckled, a profound sense of peace settling over my heart. "Buy two pairs, Maya. You earned them."
