Chapter 24: The Aftermath
245 words
The paramedics had wheeled Thorne out on a stretcher, a fitting end for a man who claimed healthcare was his business. In the days that followed, his empire crumbled with breathtaking speed. Because the jury had found him guilty of fraud, the bankruptcy fraud exception kicked in. He couldn't wipe the debt away.
Elena stood in the hospital corridor, watching the news on a muted TV. Footage showed federal marshals seizing Thorne’s Bentley. The asset seizure auction dates were already scrolling at the bottom of the screen.
She looked down at her own reflection in the glass. She looked the same—messy bun, tired eyes—but the crushing weight on her shoulders was gone.
She walked into the private room. It was quiet, smelling of sterile linen and hope. Arthur lay in the bed, but the monitors were steady. The coma recovery therapy was expensive—astronomically so—but now, Elena could buy the hospital if she wanted to.
She sat beside him, taking his frail, papery hand. "We got him, Grandpa. He can't hurt anyone else."
Arthur’s eyelids fluttered. Not the random twitch of nerves, but a deliberate movement. Slowly, agonizingly, his eyes opened. The cloudiness was still there, but something else broke through the fog. Recognition.
He squeezed her hand. Weakly, but he squeezed.
"El... ena," he rasped.
Elena rested her forehead against his hand and wept, knowing that for the first time in forever, they were tears of relief, not despair.
End of Chapter 24
