Chapter 8 - The Clearing of the House
Ten minutes later, I walked down the sweeping marble staircase toward the grand hall.
The entire party had gathered at the base of the stairs. As I reached the landing, the room didn't break into loud chatter or chaotic questions. Instead, two hundred people stood in absolute, respectful silence, clearing a wide path for me as I stepped down onto the ground floor.
Marcus Vance stepped forward first, his face solemn, holding a glass of clear water which he handed to me.
"The police are taking them out through the side entrance now, Victoria," Marcus said softly. "The media vans outside caught the entire arrest on camera. The board has already scheduled an emergency executive session for eight o'clock tomorrow morning to formally ratify Damian's termination and strip Serena of her officer status."
"Thank you, Marcus," I said, taking a small sip of water, feeling my strength slowly returning.
Evelyn Croft walked up beside him, her eyes shining with fierce pride as she reached out to gently touch my forearm. "You were magnificent, my dear. Absolutely magnificent. Your father would have been roaring with pride tonight."
"He built this company on integrity, Evelyn," I said, looking around at the gathered shareholders and friends. "I wasn't going to let thieves burn it down for personal greed."
United States Attorney Sarah Jenkins stepped up next, offering me a professional, reassuring nod. "My office will be taking over the federal prosecution first thing Monday morning, Victoria. With the video evidence and the offshore paper trail, neither of them will see the outside of a federal facility for a very long time. We will ensure every dollar stolen from your company is recovered."
I turned to face the entire crowd in the room, lifting my chin, my voice carrying clearly across the silent hall.
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"I apologize to everyone here for the unexpected turn our housewarming party took tonight," I said, a small, genuine smile touching my lips. "The celebration of this home is concluded for the evening. But the future of Sterling Biometrics is more secure tonight than it has ever been."
The room erupted into a thunderous, standing ovation. Investors, friends, and community leaders cheered, clapping their hands enthusiastically as I stood on the landing of my home, surrounded by true support.
