But her venomous words didn't faze the arresting officers in the slightest.

"Step aside, ma'am," the captain demanded.

The captain maintained his professional composure until Mr. Yeager marched up from the front row and stood right in front of them.

He stood perfectly straight, radiating an arrogant authority.

He looked at the police like they were nothing but dirt on his shoe.

Given his political rank, these beat cops were barely fit to act as his doormen, let alone get this close to him.

He was only stooping to their level because he had to protect his son-in-law.

"I know your commissioner personally. Get the hell out of here right now," Mr. Yeager barked.

"Today is a pivotal moment for my daughter and son-in-law. If there's an issue, wait until after the bell is rung and the reception is over. I'll personally invite the commissioner to my estate to discuss it then."

"You are a government official yourself, sir. You should know we have a job to do," the captain replied firmly.

"We are taking him in today. We have direct orders; he's the primary target of an active federal investigation. Please do not obstruct justice."

Seeing that his reputation held no weight with these men, Mr. Yeager's temper flared.

"So my word means nothing now? Have your commissioner call me directly! If any of you dare touch him today, I will personally see to it that you lose your badges."

But the captain wasn't buying the bluff.

"If you have an issue, you can take it up with the commissioner at the precinct. Cuff him."

The rest of the attendees watched from a distance like it was a spectacular theatrical performance.

No one dared step forward to intervene.

After all, the badges and weapons the officers carried were very real. No one wanted to go toe-to-toe with federal law enforcement.

Besides, most people were thoroughly enjoying the drama.

They wanted to know the dirty details.

The journalists, in particular, hoisted their cameras higher-this was a rare, explosive scandal that would easily generate far more clicks than a standard corporate IPO.

Mr. Yeager was so furious he nearly lost his footing, while Sallie shrieked for the security team.

"Surround them! Don't let them take him!" she ordered wildly.

But the security guards weren't insane enough to actually do it.

They were making minimum wage; why would they risk a physical altercation with armed officers?

If they actively resisted arrest, the cops would be well within their rights to use lethal force.

Most of the guards just wanted to earn a paycheck and go home to their families. No one was going to throw their life away for a billionaire boss.

They exchanged nervous glances, but not a single one moved to block the police.

Under the blinding flashes of the cameras, James was handcuffed and marched right out the front doors.

What was supposed to be a triumphant IPO had instantly deteriorated into the laughingstock of the entire city.

Sallie felt the room spin and nearly collapsed, but she managed to steady herself.

Thoroughly humiliated, she and her father slunk away through a side exit to escape the ravenous press.

James was completely dazed right up until they shoved him into the back of the police cruiser.

He glared darkly at the officers.

His father-in-law's failure to

intimidate

them hadn't quite

as a warning sign of how

senous this was.

FindNovel.net

"You're going to face federal lawsuits for arresting me without cause! Where is your proof of embezzlement?"

The captain hadn't planned on entertaining him, but James's sheer arrogance dragged a scoff out of him.

can

"We wouldn't 't know the exact details. We just execute the warrants. Your crimes are for the judge to sort out. You can call your lawyer, but anything you say in this car car and will be used against you. Honestly, if I were you, I'd save my breath for the defense instead of wasting time arguing with us. As for your wife and father in-laws little stunt back there we'll let that slide for now. Instead of interrogating us, you should be figuring out how to get them to hire the best legal team in the state,

because you are definitely not getting bail."

James practically exploded with rage, but no matter how much he yelled, the

officers completely ignored him.

They just kept a firm grip on his arms, ensuring he couldn't thrash around.

Forced to sit still in the moving cruiser, James finally began to piece things together.

A sudden realization struck him—on

his way out of the building, he

caught a of

thought he haexecimal ne

Hans, Hawthorne's executive assistant.

Hans was Hawthorne's shadow.

He never left his boss's side unless he was executing a highly critical order.