By seven o'clock the following morning, the rain had stopped, giving way to a bright, clear sunrise over Manhattan. Outside the entrance of the Sterling Tower, a crowd of over fifty news reporters, photographers, and camera crews stood behind police barricades.
On every morning television broadcast across the country, the lead story remained the same: Billionaire CEO Mark Sterling Arrested For Felony Assault On Heiress Clara Vance.
Inside the executive boardroom on the top floor of Vance Global Security, Clara sat at the head of a long glass conference table. A small, neat bandage covered the stitches above her left eyebrow. Across from her sat six senior board members and her uncle, Richard Vance.
Richard: The prosecutor just confirmed that Mark's bail was officially denied by the magistrate judge. He's being held in county lockup until his preliminary hearing on Thursday.
Clara: And what about the foreclosure papers for Sterling Real Estate?
Richard: Filed at eight AM sharp with the state supreme court. Because Mark defaulted on the secondary loan terms due to his criminal indictment, Vance Global has officially seized sixty-five percent of their commercial assets.
Board Member Miller: Mrs. Vance, the stock for Sterling Real Estate dropped seventy-two percent at the market opening whistle ten minutes ago.
Clara: Rebrand the properties under Vance Global Commercial. Reappoint all floor managers and maintenance staff with a fifteen percent wage increase.
Board Member Miller: Right away, ma'am. And what about Evelyn Sterling's executive pension?
Clara: Terminated under the morality clause of her contract. She can keep her personal clothing and her car, but the penthouse lease expires at the end of the week.
Richard: Are you sure you want to proceed with the divorce filing today, Clara?
Clara: I want the papers served to Mark in his jail cell before noon, Uncle Richard.
A soft knock sounded at the boardroom door, and Detective Vance stepped inside, holding a thick leather folder.
Detective Vance: Good morning, Clara. How is the forehead feeling today?
Clara: A little sore, Detective, but much better than yesterday. Do you have the final incident report?
Detective Vance: Right here. The crime scene technicians recovered thirty-four distinct fragments of the ceramic plate from the dining room floor. The forensic impact analysis proves the plate was thrown with full intentional force directly at your head.
Clara: Is Mark trying to offer a plea deal?
Detective Vance: His defense attorney tried to offer three million dollars in restitution this morning. The district attorney laughed him out of the office.
Clara: Good. He needs to spend real time behind bars, not buy his way out with a checkbook.
Detective Vance: With his previous corporate fraud investigations now unsealed, the prosecutor is asking for five to seven years in state prison.
Clara stood up from the executive chair, stepping over to the large glass window overlooking the city below. The streets were filled with yellow taxis and bustling workers, completely oblivious to the corporate empire that had crumbled overnight.
She touched the small bandage on her forehead gently with her fingertips. The blood was gone, the pain was fading, and for the first time in three years, she felt completely free.