You do not have the power to send anyone to prison. Do you really think anyone in the federal government is going to listen to a nobody like you over wealthy business owners like us? I did not smile, but a dark sense of anticipation settled deep within my chest. They had no idea. They had absolutely no idea that the trap had already been set and they had just locked themselves inside it.
I did not wait for their response. I simply turned on my heel and pushed through the heavy swinging doors, leaving my parents and sister standing in the humid, foul smelling kitchen. They probably assumed I was retreating to cry in a bathroom or fleeing to my car in defeat. They severely underestimated the resolve of a woman who spent her days dismantling complex corporate fraud syndicates.
The jazz quartet was playing a lively rendition of a classic standard, the sound echoing through the vaulted ceilings of the rented estate. I ignored the wealthy guests dripping in diamonds and holding crystal flutes of expensive champagne. I kept my head down, navigating the perimeter of the grand foyer until I reached the hallway leading to the private quarters.
