The cold tile beneath me offered a grounding, relentless reality: my five-year nightmare was officially coming to an end.

One month later.

The morning sun reflected brilliantly across the clear, blue waters of Lake Michigan, filling the living room of my penthouse with golden light.

A crew of professional movers was busy carrying out the last remnants of Julian and Fiona’s presence: the Italian leather sofa he loved, the vintage wine collection, the expensive artwork Fiona had selected. I was selling every single item at a public auction, donating 100% of the proceeds to the local Chicago shelter for victims of domestic abuse.

I stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, wearing comfortable white linen pants and a soft cashmere sweater, holding a steaming mug of fresh coffee.

The front door chimed, and Darcy walked in, carrying two legal folders and a bottle of vintage champagne.

"Morning, partner," Darcy smiled, setting the champagne on the clean marble island.

"How are our friends doing in federal custody?" I asked, turning around with a light smile.

"Julian reached a plea bargain agreement yesterday," Darcy reported, opening the first folder. "In exchange for testifying against his mother regarding the offshore shell companies, he’s taking a reduced sentence of four years in a federal medium-security facility."

"And Fiona?"

Darcy grinned. "Fiona refused to take a plea. She insisted on going to trial, claiming she was an 'innocent victim of corporate bias.' The federal prosecutor pulled up the recordings of her demanding the sixty-dish feast and her bank records showing her personal signature on the illegal tax filings. She was sentenced to seven years."

I took a slow sip of my coffee, feeling the warm liquid settle in my chest.

Seven years for Fiona. Four years for Julian. Their luxury lifestyles, their social status, and their arrogance had been completely, utterly reduced to ashes.

"And what about your corporate expansion?" Darcy asked, leaning against the counter.

"Vance Equity Partners just finalized the acquisition of two new commercial towers in downtown Loop," I said, looking out at the city skyline. "My net worth passed sixty million this morning."