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Chapter 796:
The encrypted phone on the passenger seat suddenly emitted a sharp, piercing alarm.
Cole flinched. He grabbed the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles turning stark white, and pressed the Bluetooth answer button on the dashboard.
His chief assistant’s voice filled the cabin through the car speakers, unsteady and thin.
“Mr. Compton. The FBI raided Beasley Manor three hours ago. Richard Beasley has been formally booked into federal custody. He is being held without bail p>
Cole let out a harsh, dry laugh and kept his foot heavy on the gas pedal. A cold spike of dread cut through him. He had always known June’s revenge ran deeper and darker than money — but he had never imagined it would lead here.
“Let him rot,” Cole said, his voice raspy. “June took his money. Now the government takes his freedom. It is what he deserves p>
𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗻
“Sir, you do not understand,” the assistant said, his breath catching over the speaker. “The core charge from the FBI is not wire fraud or money laundering. The primary charge is first-degree premeditated murder p>
Cole slammed his foot on the brake pedal.
The heavy SUV locked its tires. A deafening screech of burning rubber echoed across the highway as the vehicle swerved violently before Cole wrestled it onto the gravel shoulder, throwing up a cloud of dust and loose rock. His chest heaved against the seatbelt.
“Murder?” Cole demanded, his voice cracking. “Who was murdered p>
A long, agonizing pause followed. Cole could hear the rustle of paper on the other end of the line.
“Vivian Erickson,” the assistant finally choked out. “June’s biological mother p>
The words struck Cole like a physical blow. The air vanished from his lungs. His vision tunneled. For three years, he had told himself that June was just a gold digger. He had convinced himself that her hatred for Alycia was nothing more than petty jealousy over money and status.
He gripped the leather steering wheel so hard his hands shook. “Get me the files. Now p>
“Sir, the prosecution has ironclad proof,” the assistant added, his voice dropping lower. “The state’s star witness is Susan Beasley. She provided the evidence. Easton Hahn’s office is coordinating with the DA on her testimony p>
A wave of pure, physical nausea rolled through Cole’s stomach.
He threw the SUV into gear, ripped the steering wheel to the left, and cut across two lanes of highway traffic in an illegal U-turn. Horns blared around him, but he did not hear them. He pressed the gas pedal to the floor, speeding back toward the Compton Group headquarters in Manhattan.
He needed to see those files with his own eyes. He needed to know exactly how many filthy secrets Alycia had hidden behind her innocent tears.
Back at the cemetery, June took one last, deep breath of the cold morning air. She stood up straight and turned to Easton. For the first time in a decade, the suffocating tension in her shoulders eased. A fragile, exhausted smile touched her lips — more a release of pressure than an expression of joy.