Chapter 9 - The Interrogation Room-9
The federal holding facility in downtown Miami smelled of industrial disinfectant, stale coffee, and cold stainless steel.
Paige Albright sat at the center of the metal interrogation table, her designer burgundy evening gown replaced by a standard-issue orange jumpsuit that hung loosely around her frame. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, completely devoid of makeup, exposing the raw panic etched into her tear-stained face.
The heavy steel door swung open.
Two federal investigators walked in—Agent Miller, a veteran white-collar crime specialist, and Agent Vance, a forensic accountant who had spent the last week tearing through Paige’s digital footprint. They tossed a thick manila folder onto the metal table with a sharp thud.
Paige flinched, pulling her hands defensively against her chest.
"Let's go over the timeline one more time, Miss Albright," Agent Miller began, sitting down and folding his arms across his chest. "According to our forensic audit, over the past eighteen months, exactly forty-five million, two hundred thousand dollars was systematically funneled from Durham Global subsidiary accounts into Albright Holdings LLC. Is that correct?"
Paige stared at the steel table, her lips trembling. "I... I followed standard corporate protocols. Christopher approved every transfer. He told me it was part of our corporate restructuring strategy."
Agent Vance let out a dry, humorless laugh, sliding a printed email thread across the table toward her.
"Is that why you registered the shell company in the Cayman Islands under your mother's maiden name?" Vance asked, tapping his pen against the paper. "And is that why your personal encrypted messaging app contains direct instructions to liquidate your Swiss bank accounts scheduled for next Monday?"
Paige looked down at the printouts. Her own words stared back at her—clear, undeniable proof of premeditated corporate embezzlement.
"We were going to start over," Paige whispered, tears finally spilling over her lashes. "Christopher promised me we'd leave this country. He said Durham Global was a bottomless pit of money and nobody would ever notice forty million missing from a four-hundred-billion-dollar portfolio."
"That's where you made your fatal miscalculation," Agent Miller said calmly. "Durham Global isn't just a faceless corporation. The woman whose money you stole—the woman you and Mr. Armstrong spent years mocking, belittling, and treating like a domestic servant—happens to be the sole owner and chairwoman of the entire portfolio."
Paige went entirely rigid. Her head snapped up, her bloodshot eyes widening in sheer, paralyzing horror.
"What... what did you say?" she stammered, her voice dropping to a terrified whisper.
"Valerie Vance-Armstrong," Agent Vance stated clearly. "She personally reviewed your file before submitting it to the Department of Justice. She didn't just authorize the federal audit, Miss Albright. She designed the trap."
The words hit Paige like a physical blow. She remembered every condescending remark she had ever made about Valerie. She remembered standing in the Armstrong kitchen, laughing alongside Christopher and Gertrude while Valerie cleaned up broken china. She remembered telling Christopher that his wife was a pathetic nobody who belonged in the kitchen.
And all along, that "nobody" held the keys to their entire existence.
"Can I... can I speak to her?" Paige begged, lunging forward across the table, her hands grasping desperately at the edge of the metal. "Please! Let me apologize to her! I'll give everything back! Every cent! Just let me talk to Madam Chairwoman!"
Agent Miller stood up, gathering the manila folder and tucking it securely under his arm.
"Madam Chairwoman doesn't grant audiences to convicted embezzlers," Miller replied coldly.
May you like
He tapped the door behind him. A guard unlocked the heavy steel latch from the outside.
"Enjoy your new accommodations, Miss Albright," Miller added over his shoulder as he walked out. "Federal penitentiaries have very strict rules about kitchen duty. You'll have plenty of time to practice."
