The brass lock clicked into place with a heavy, solid sound.

I walked down the hall and picked up the phone.

It was my lead developer, confirming our first major client contract in Boston.

Six months later, the federal investigators finished their audit of King Enterprises.

Daniel Carter’s testimony sealed Elias’s fate, though Daniel did not escape prosecution himself.

The newspapers showed photos of Elias walking down the courthouse steps, his head bowed, surrounded by reporters.

The King empire was dismantled piece by piece to pay the creditors and the government fines.

My own office in Boston grew quiet after the morning rush.

I sat at my walnut desk, looking out at the harbor through the clean glass.

Our client list had doubled, built on transparent practices and independent capital.

I signed the final lease agreement for our new administrative floor.

Sometimes I still remembered the sound of the rain on Elias’s coat, but the memory no longer made me hesitate.

I put down my pen, closed the folder on my desk, and stood up to meet my team.