Chapter 18 - The Arrest
The FBI tactical team breached the front doors seconds later, swarming the office with assault rifles drawn. They took custody of Julian Croft, dragging him to his feet and shoving him toward the exit.
As they walked him past my desk, Julian stopped for a fraction of a second. He looked at me, his eyes filled with a hollow, desperate defeat.
"You ruined me," he whispered.
"No," I replied, looking him dead in the eye. "You ruined yourself. I just gave the camera something to watch."
The agents pushed him out into the storm, shoving him into the back of a heavily armored federal transport vehicle.
The lights in the office flickered back on. Chloe holstered her weapon, letting out a long, exhausted breath. Sophia slowly opened the heavy steel door of the secure room, leading a trembling Elena out into the main office.
"Is he gone?" Elena asked, her voice shaking.
"He’s gone, Elena," I said, walking over and wrapping my arms around her. "He is never going to hurt you again."
Elena collapsed into my arms, weeping tears of profound, overwhelming relief. I held her tight, rubbing her back, feeling the solid, undeniable truth of my own healing. I wasn't just a survivor anymore. I was a shield for others.
The lead FBI agent, a tall man in a soaked windbreaker, walked back into the office. "Ms. Sterling, Ms. Park, Anna... exceptional work. We recovered the physical hard drives from Croft's safe during the raid. With the Apex ledger you provided, the United States Attorney has an airtight case. He will not be seeing the outside of a federal penitentiary for a very long time."
"What about Elena’s assets?" Sophia asked, immediately slipping back into lawyer mode.
"The U.S. Attorney has authorized an immediate unfreezing of the legitimate marital assets," the agent confirmed. "The money will be returned to her accounts by tomorrow morning."
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Elena gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.
We had done it. We had fought the devil in the dark, and we had dragged him into the light. The storm outside began to break, the heavy rain slowing to a gentle drizzle against the windows. The ocean was calming down.
