The Foundation Unravels

Daniel lunged forward, grabbing the edge of my bedrail as his face drained of all color.

“What did you say?” Daniel demanded, his voice cracking slightly. “What are you talking about—freezing my accounts?”

Mr. Gable snatched the document from Daniel’s hand, his eyes scanning the legal header and the embossed seal with rapidly growing alarm.

“This... this is a federal freeze order,” Gable stammered, looking up at Daniel with a sudden, panicked realization. “Mr. Mercer, did you move corporate liquidity from the subsidiary accounts into your personal portfolio without SEC clearance?”

Nora stepped forward, her manicured hands trembling slightly as she looked between Daniel and the paper.

“Daniel, what is he talking about? You said those funds were completely legal!” Nora hissed, dropping the mask of cool indifference she had worn the previous night.

Daniel turned on her, his face contorting with rage.

“Shut up, Nora! You spent twice as much as I did on the summer estate renovations!” Daniel shouted, completely forgetting where they were standing.

“Gentlemen, please keep your domestic disputes outside the intensive care unit,” a cold, deep voice echoed from the doorway.

Marcus Vance stepped into the room, flanked by two federal investigators and a uniformed court bailiff.

Marcus looked immaculate in a charcoal bespoke suit, holding a sleek silver tablet displaying real-time financial tracking charts.

“Mr. Daniel Mercer, you are formally being served with a federal subpoena regarding unauthorized asset diversion and corporate embezzlement totaling over eight hundred thousand dollars from Whitmore Structural Holdings,” Marcus announced calmly, stepping up beside my bed.

Daniel staggered backward, bumping into the tray table and sending my empty broth bowl crashing to the floor.