Francesca did not tell Julian or Hayden about the suspension. She could not add to their burdens. Every morning, she put on her scrubs, left the apartment, and spent the day sitting in the back of the public library, desperately researching medical malpractice lawyers she could not afford.
She survived on dollar-slice pizza and tap water, funneling every remaining cent of her savings into her father's medical care account.
On Thursday evening, Julian came over to the apartment. He looked exhausted but his eyes were bright.
"The merger is closing tomorrow," Julian announced, pulling Hayden into his lap on the cheap sofa. "My bonus is going to be massive. Fran, I'm going to pay off Dad's facility fees for the next two years. And Hayden, we are booking the venue."
Francesca forced a smile, but her chest felt like it was being crushed in a vise. Anton's words echoed in her skull. This is just the beginning.
The axe fell the next morning.
Francesca was at the library when the breaking news alert flashed on her phone screen.
FBI RAIDS TOP WALL STREET LAW FIRM. SENIOR ASSOCIATE ARRESTED FOR INSIDER TRADING.
Below the headline was a live video feed. Francesca tapped it, her fingers numb. The screen showed the glass doors of Julian's firm. FBI agents in windbreakers were pushing through a crowd of reporters.
In the center of the agents, wearing handcuffs, was Julian.
"No," Francesca gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth. "No, no, no."
Her phone rang. It was Hayden. She was screaming. "Fran! They took him! They took Julian!"
Francesca ran. She sprinted out of the library and took a cab she couldn't afford straight to the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan. Hayden was already there, standing behind a police barricade, her face pale and streaked with mascara.
They watched as Julian was pulled out of a black SUV. The flashbulbs of the paparazzi cameras exploded like lightning. Julian looked up and saw them. His face was a mask of shock and terror, but he shook his head slightly, mouthing the words, Stay back.
The news reports trickled in over the next few hours. The evidence was overwhelming. Millions of dollars had been funneled through offshore shell companies directly into a secret account in Julian's name. The digital paper trail was flawless.
It was Anton. He had built a cage so perfect Julian would never see the sun again.
Hayden spent the afternoon calling every partner at the firm, begging for help. No one would take her calls. Desperate, she went to her father, Preston Dickerson, a ruthless real estate tycoon. Francesca waited outside the Dickerson penthouse.
Ten minutes later, the heavy oak doors flew open. Hayden walked out. Her face was hard as stone.
"What happened?" Francesca asked, her heart sinking.
Hayden held up her left hand. The large canary diamond ring her father had given her for her birthday was gone.
"He told me to cut ties with a criminal, or cut ties with the family," Hayden said, her voice shaking with rage. "I left the ring on his desk. I'm done with them. I choose Julian."
Francesca stared at her best friend. Hayden had just thrown away her inheritance, her family, and her safety net, all for Julian. The guilt hit Francesca so hard her knees buckled. This was her fault. Her refusal to help Anton had brought this destruction upon them all.
That night, Hayden slept on Francesca's lumpy sofa.
Francesca sat on the floor in the dark bedroom. She pulled up the browser on her phone and searched Anton's name. The top result was a gossip site. It showed a photo of Anton taken yesterday. He was standing on the deck of a massive yacht in Monaco, holding a glass of champagne, surrounded by models.
He was smiling.
He had destroyed her career and ruined her brother's life, and he was drinking champagne in the Mediterranean.
Francesca stared at the photo until her eyes burned. She had no money. She had no power. She had nothing left to fight him with.
