Chapter 13 - The Grand Auction of Stolen Lives
On the forty-second floor of the Apex Tower across LaSalle Street, Daniel Bennett sat at the head of a massive mahogany conference table. Surrounding him were five senior corporate attorneys and the Chief Executive Officer of the Apex Commercial Real Estate Group.
Daniel tapped his gold fountain pen against the table, checking his Rolex for the fourth time in five minutes.
"Where is she with the trust charter, Daniel?" the Apex CEO asked, glancing at the clock. "The wire transfer authorization window closes at ten-thirty sharp. If Mrs. Bennett does not present the original parchment deed to verify clear title, the fourteen-million-dollar escrow cannot be released."
"She’s just crossing the street from the depository, gentlemen," Daniel said, offering a smooth, charismatic smile to mask the rising knot of tension in his gut. "You know how meticulous Claire is with her grandfather’s historical documents. She’ll be here any second."
Just then, the heavy double oak doors of the boardroom swung open.
"Ah, here she is now," Daniel beamed, standing up with his arms outstretched in a theatrical display of marital devotion. "Darling, we were just about to finalize the wire transfer—"
Daniel froze.
The words died in his throat as the color drained from his skin, leaving him as pale as a corpse.
Walking through the doorway was not Victoria Vance.
It was Claire Bennett.
She walked into the sunlit boardroom with an effortless, graceful elegance. Her head was held high, her eyes fixed entirely on Daniel. Behind her walked Marcus Reid and Special Agent David Vance, flanked by six federal agents in full tactical gear.
The entire boardroom fell into a stunned, suffocating silence.
"Claire...?" Daniel whispered, his voice trembling so violently the pen slipped from his fingers, clattering onto the glass tabletop. "You... you’re..."
"I’m alive, Daniel," Claire said, her voice ringing clear and steady across the room. "And I’ve brought the trust charter."
She stepped up to the head of the table, placing the thick manila folder directly in front of him.
"What is the meaning of this?" the Apex CEO demanded, standing up in alarm. "Mr. Bennett, what is going on here?"
"What is going on," Agent Vance announced, flashing his gold federal credentials, "is that Daniel Bennett is under arrest for the attempted murder of his wife, conspiracy to commit murder for financial gain, multi-million-dollar insurance fraud, and operating a multi-state corporate embezzlement syndicate."
Daniel stumbled backward, knocking his leather executive chair to the floor. "This is a mistake! This woman is suffering from post-operative psychosis! Call Dr. Sterling at Lakeside General! He has her psychiatric hold papers!"
"Dr. Sterling is currently in federal custody, Daniel," Marcus Reid stepped forward, a cold, triumphant smile on his face. "He’s been singing for the past three hours. He gave us the offshore accounts, the succinylcholine logs, and the contract he signed with you and your mother."
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"No... no!" Daniel panicked, turning toward the private executive terrace doors. "Linda! Where is Linda?!"
"Linda was arrested forty minutes ago at O'Hare International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Macau with four million dollars in forged cashier's checks," Agent Vance stated coldly. "Your entire syndicate has been dismantled."
