Chapter 34 - The Tables Turned
Marcus’s smug expression dissolved into sheer panic as the Coast Guard loudspeakers ordered cut engines and immediate boarding for customs and maritime safety inspection. Dante looked across the water, his voice carrying effortlessly in the morning calm. "You brought a speedboat to a jurisdiction battle, Marcus," Dante called out smoothly. "My legal team filed federal embezzlement and piracy warrants against your logistics network three hours ago while you were still sleeping. Step off my deck in your mind, because you’re about to spend the next decade explaining to a federal judge why your cargo manifests don't match your shell companies." I stepped forward, resting my hands on the railing, looking down at the defeated shipping tycoon. "Tell Julian I said hello when you see him in federal holding," I added with a cool, mocking smile. As the armed officers boarded Marcus’s vessel and forced him to his knees, a profound wave of liberation washed over me. The final tether to my old life wasn't just cut—it was utterly obliterated.
