Waiting for her was a tall, severe-looking man in a sharp suit. He was a senior federal prosecutor for the financial crimes division—a man Victoria had known, and legally battled with, for twenty years.

Victoria didn’t offer a greeting. Her face was a mask of terrifying, unyielding serenity. She reached into her designer handbag and pulled out a small, encrypted flash drive. She handed it to the prosecutor.

“What is this, Victoria?” the prosecutor asked, eyeing the drive.

“Mark Vance didn’t just drain a joint checking account to pay a gambling debt, Richard,” Victoria stated coldly, her voice echoing softly down the pristine corridor.

“The twenty-three thousand dollars was held in a restricted, legally designated medical escrow trust, established under my daughter’s sole social security number.”

The prosecutor’s eyes widened slightly, instantly recognizing the legal implications.