The investigation unspooled over fourteen months. Dominic’s arrogance had made him sloppy. Federal prosecutors didn’t just find the forged loans — they unraveled a labyrinth of wire fraud, identity theft, and corporate embezzlement.

The offshore accounts he’d thought untouchable were frozen, repatriated, and seized. His luxury assets — the sports cars, the watches, the penthouse he’d secretly bought — were liquidated to pay restitution to the very company he’d been stealing from.

Faced with overwhelming evidence and abandoned by everyone — including Chloe, who flipped immediately and testified against him for a reduced sentence after being caught red-handed in the server room — Dominic accepted a plea deal.

Eight years in federal prison.

I didn’t use the Sterling name or our wealth to fabricate charges or destroy innocent people. I simply stopped being the shield that protected Dominic from the consequences of his own actions.

I stepped out of the way, and let his own corruption crush him.