Chapter 34 - The Financial Collapse
The execution of the settlement agreement triggered a catastrophic, irreversible domino effect for the Kensington empire. To pay the hundred-million-dollar restitution to Juliet, Richard was forced to rapidly liquidate his remaining legitimate commercial properties.
Because the sales were rushed and desperate, his competitors smelled blood in the water. Properties that were worth tens of millions were sold for pennies on the dollar.
I sat in my office with Daniel, watching the financial news networks on the wall monitor. The headline scrolling across the bottom of the screen read: KENSINGTON HOLDINGS FILES FOR CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY AMIDST FRAUD ALLEGATIONS.
"It's a total collapse," Daniel noted, shaking his head in disbelief as a news anchor detailed the seizure of the Lake Forest estate by federal regulators. "They are auctioning off the mansion, the cars, even Victoria's jewelry collection to pay off the secondary creditors."
"He built a house of cards on the back of his daughter," I said coldly, feeling absolutely zero sympathy for the man. "When we pulled her out from under it, the entire structure collapsed. It’s exactly what he deserves."
"The FBI officially indicted him this morning," Marcus announced, walking into my office with a satisfied grin. "Wire fraud, money laundering, and identity theft. He is looking at twenty years in a federal penitentiary. Victoria is being investigated for complicity."
"Where is Juliet?" Daniel asked.
"She is at the bank," I smiled. "Setting up her new, independent trust accounts with a fiduciary who reports exclusively to her. She is planning to move to Paris next month to study art history. She is taking her life back."
The phone on my desk rang. It was an internal line from our reception desk.
"Nora," my receptionist said, her voice sounding slightly confused. "There is a courier here. He has a certified letter for you. But it’s not from a law firm. It’s from the Illinois Department of Corrections."
The room seemed to drop ten degrees. The triumphant energy evaporated, replaced by a sudden, heavy silence. Daniel stepped forward, his protective instincts instantly flaring.
"Bring it up," I instructed quietly, hanging up the phone.
May you like
Marcus frowned. "Who do you know in the state penitentiary?"
"My past," I replied, looking down at my hands. The ghosts I thought I had buried years ago were suddenly rattling their cages.
