Chapter 10 - Shadows Behind Bars
Seventy miles away, in the stark, fluorescent-lit intake facility of the county correctional center, Celeste Harrington sat on a metal bench in a gray jumpsuit. Her designer clothes were gone, replaced by standard-issue clothes, and her hair lacked its usual polished perfection.
The heavy steel door clicked open, and a guard stepped inside.
“Visitor for you, inmate Harrington,” the guard barked.
Celeste didn't look up immediately. She assumed it was her defense attorney, coming with more bad news about frozen accounts and denied bail motions. But when she raised her eyes and looked through the thick security glass of the visitation booth, her breath hitched.
Elena stood on the other side of the glass, holding the receiver connected to the secure intercom.
Celeste stood up slowly, her face twisting into a mask of bitter hatred. She picked up her own receiver and pressed it to her ear.
“Have you come to gloat, little girl?” Celeste spat out, her voice dripping with venom through the speaker. “You think a few stolen documents and a compliant board of directors makes you a Harrington? You’re nothing. You’re a footnote in this family’s history.”
Elena didn't raise her voice. She maintained a calm, steady gaze that unnerved Celeste far more than anger ever could.
“I didn't come to gloat, Celeste,” Elena said quietly. “I came to tell you that the federal marshals just seized your personal offshore accounts in the Caymans. Every last dollar you stole from my mother’s legacy, and every asset you accumulated through fraud, has been legally reverted back to the trust.”
Celeste slammed her palm against the glass. “You bitch! That money belongs to us! We built this empire!”
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“No,” Elena replied, her voice cutting through the speaker like steel. “You built a house of cards on lies and blood. And today, the last card finally fell.”
Elena hung up the receiver, turned away from the glass, and walked out of the visitation room without looking back once.
