Chapter 8 - The Fall of Julian Vance
With the distraction of Vanessa’s arrest neutralized, Luca and I didn't wait another minute. We strode directly into the east gallery of the museum, where Julian Vance was standing on a raised podium auctioning off high-end industrial equipment to a group of shady international buyers.
"—and opening bids for this sixty-foot cargo container of commercial electronics start at five hundred thousand cash—" Julian announced into the microphone.
"Sold," a cold, resonant voice echoed across the gallery.
Julian stopped midsentence, blinking in confusion as Luca Moretti walked calmly into the center of the room, with me standing right beside him carrying a thick leather binder.
"Luca," Julian forced a laugh, sweating profusely under the gallery spotlights. "I didn't realize you were interested in our surplus inventory auctions."
"It’s not a surplus auction, Julian," Luca said loudly, his voice carrying effortlessly over the stunned crowd. "It’s an illegal liquidation of stolen corporate assets belonging to Moretti Enterprises."
The buyers in the room immediately started murmuring, shifting uncomfortably toward the exits.
Julian’s face turned the color of ash. "That’s absurd! I have full authorization from the board—!"
"You have a federal indictment and thirty counts of grand larceny waiting for you downstairs," I stepped forward, opening the leather binder and reading directly from the documents. "Shall I read the wire transfer receipts connecting your private Cayman accounts to these buyers, Julian? Or would you prefer to explain them directly to the federal marshals currently securing the doors?"
Julian stared at me, his eyes wide with sheer, helpless terror. He realized then that the "little cleaning girl" hadn't just beaten him—she had dismantled his entire criminal enterprise down to the foundational bolts.
Marcus and four federal agents walked into the gallery from the side entrance. Without a word, they walked straight up to Julian, spun him around, and slapped steel cuffs around his wrists.
As Julian was hauled away in absolute disgrace, the remaining buyers hastily dispersed into the night, leaving the gallery quiet once more.
May you like
Luca turned to me, a slow, brilliant smile breaking across his face.
"Well, Ms. Reed," Luca said, his voice warm and rich with admiration. "It looks like your first major acquisition audit was an overwhelming success."
