Chapter Seven: Isabella’s Bargain
Isabella spent two nights in custody before her attorney requested a meeting with prosecutors.
She wanted a deal.
At first, she claimed Vivian had manipulated her. She described herself as a heartbroken woman pressured by powerful families.
Detective Ortiz played the hospital footage again.
Isabella stopped pretending.
She admitted that she had known about the plan for more than a year. She had helped arrange the therapist, the surveillance, and the financial allegations.
But she insisted the assault had not been planned.
“I lost control,” she said.
“That does not make it less serious,” the prosecutor replied.
Isabella offered something larger.
Her father, Lorenzo Rossi, had approved illegal transfers through Thorne Global to hide losses inside Rossi Capital. Vivian had discovered the fraud and used it to force the Rossis into supporting her plan against Khloe.
Everyone had been blackmailing everyone else.
Isabella provided passwords, account numbers, and recordings of meetings between Vivian and Lorenzo.
In return, she asked for reduced charges.
The prosecutor made no promises.
When Marcus learned the truth, he requested another board meeting.
This time, law enforcement representatives attended.
The directors who had accused him of destroying the company sat in silence while forensic accountants displayed years of concealed losses, false contracts, and illegal payments.
Thorne Global had not been saved by Rossi Capital.
It had been infected by it.
Marcus voted to dissolve the partnership and remove every director who had approved the hidden transactions.
Then he supported the sale of several luxury assets to protect employee pensions and salaries.
By the end of the week, his personal fortune had been reduced dramatically.
For the first time in his adult life, Marcus felt relieved.
He had spent years defending a legacy that had never been honorable.
Khloe watched the public announcement from her hospital bed.
Reporters shouted questions as Marcus walked to the courthouse.
“Did your wife pressure you to expose your family?”
“Are you resigning because your marriage is ending?”
“Do you believe your mother deserves prison?”
Marcus stopped at the courthouse steps.
“My wife did not cause this,” he said. “She revealed what the rest of us were too comfortable to see.”
A reporter raised her voice.
“Do you expect her to forgive you?”
Marcus looked directly toward the cameras.
“No.”
The answer surprised everyone.
“Forgiveness is not something I am owed. My responsibility is to tell the truth, cooperate with the investigation, and ensure that no one connected to my family can threaten her again.”
In the hospital room, Khloe lowered the volume.
Elias stood near the window.
“He finally sounds like a man instead of a spokesman,” he said.
May you like
Khloe almost smiled.
Almost.
