Chapter 3: Colonel Hart's Secret
Twenty minutes later, additional officers arrived.
Not local officers.
Federal investigators.
Margaret immediately stood.
"This is outrageous."
One investigator placed a folder on a nearby table.
"Mrs. Prescott, sit down."
She didn't.
Then Colonel Victoria Hart revealed the one thing nobody in the room knew.
Including Emily.
For years, I had served not only as a senior Army officer.
I had also worked alongside multiple federal task forces investigating financial corruption involving government contractors.
And the Prescott family name had appeared more than once.
Margaret stared at me.
"You planned this."
"No," I answered.
"You did."
The investigator opened the folder.
Inside were contracts.
Offshore accounts.
False charities.
Fraudulent land purchases.
Millions of dollars hidden through shell companies.
The Prescotts hadn't merely abused Emily.
They had accidentally brought federal attention onto themselves.
One investigator looked directly at Brandon.
"Several of these transactions were approved by you."
Brandon went pale.
Ethan lowered himself into a chair.
Margaret tried one final time.
"You have no idea who our friends are."
The investigator smiled.
"Most of them are already cooperating."
The room erupted.
Lawyers were called.
Phones rang.
Family members panicked.
But none of it mattered anymore.
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The machine they had spent decades building was collapsing in real time.
And everyone in that hospital room witnessed the beginning of the end.
