Chapter 7 - The Net Tightens
The lobby of the Riverside Hotel was eerily quiet when Daniel stepped out of the private elevator. The flashing red and blue lights of three unmarked police cruisers cast long, rhythmic shadows across the marble pillars.
Frank stood near the revolving doors, smoking an unlit cigar, flanked by two armed Marzano security operatives. In the center of the lobby, local detectives stood waiting with quiet, professional patience.
As Daniel walked across the polished floor, Frank tipped his head respectfully.
“She secure?” Frank asked in a low rumble.
“The local authorities are walking her down right now,” Daniel replied, his voice steady. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the tarnished silver locket, holding it up in the palm of his hand. “And the confession is safely uploaded to Marzano’s servers and the DA’s primary evidence drop.”
Frank grunted in approval. “Good. The boss is waiting upstairs in the penthouse. He wants a word before you head back to Sewickley.”
Daniel nodded, handing the locket over to the lead detective who approached them with an evidence bag. Within minutes, Amanda appeared from the elevator banks, her hands cuffed behind her back, her face hidden beneath the collar of her trench coat as two uniformed officers escorted her past the glittering crystal chandeliers and out into the pouring rain.
She didn't look up. She didn't say a single word. The fairy-tale wedding, the socialite status, the stolen millions—it all vanished into the cold night air, reduced to a pair of steel bracelets and a prison cell.
Daniel took a deep breath, the heavy weight on his chest finally beginning to lift.
He took the elevator back up to the penthouse, where Julian was pouring two glasses of scotch by the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the glittering, rain-slicked city skyline.
“It’s done,” Daniel said, walking into the room and accepting the crystal glass Julian pushed toward him.
“I saw the live feed from the lobby cameras,” Julian remarked smoothly, taking a slow sip of his drink. “Clean. Efficient. A textbook resolution.” He turned his gray eyes toward Daniel, studying him with quiet curiosity. “So, what happens now? The estate in Sewickley is legally tied up in federal receivership, Amanda’s assets are frozen, and your name has been completely cleared of any association with her family’s fraud.”
Daniel stared down into the amber liquid of his glass, watching the ice cube slowly melt. “Now… I go back to my daughter.”
“And the Sewickley estate?” Julian asked, raising an eyebrow. “The feds are going to auction off the property once the investigation into the cold case concludes. It’s prime real estate. Worth millions.”
“I don't care about the real estate,” Daniel said firmly. “I just want a home where Sophie can grow up without shadows hanging over the door.”
Julian smiled—a rare, genuine expression that reached his eyes. “As it happens, Marzano Holdings just acquired the holding company that owns the mortgage on that exact stretch of land in Sewickley. Consider it a wedding gift that didn't quite make it to the reception.”
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Daniel looked at him in surprise, a slow, appreciative grin breaking across his face. “Thanks, Julian.”
“Don't thank me yet,” Julian replied, raising his glass in a silent toast. “You still have to explain all of this to a very sleepy twenty-month-old when you get home.”
