Bob's voice cracked. The arrogant color in his cheeks drained away, leaving him looking pasty and small. "That's... that's impossible. Andre handled the financing. The debt is tied to his personal liability."
"No, it isn't," Cole said, tapping his tablet screen. "According to the official stock and asset transfer documents you submitted to the SEC and the state registry exactly fourteen minutes ago, you transferred all assets and liabilities associated with SSS Technologies and the Greenwood plant to Ms. Laura's personal holding company. And you, Bob, signed the personal guarantor clause as the sole legal representative." Cole offered a cold, professional smile. "Under federal banking law, when a transition of ownership occurs during a pending default, the new owner and their guarantor assume joint and several personal liability. SSS Technologies' corporate shield is gone. You, Ms. Laura, and you, Bob, are now personally liable for eighty million dollars."
Laura's glass slipped from her hand. It hit the thick carpet with a soft thud, the dark red liquid soaking into the cream-colored fibers like a fresh bloodstain. "No," she whispered, her eyes wide with terror. "No, no, no. There's a mistake. We didn't... we only wanted the shares. We wanted the IPO money."
"The IPO has been suspended indefinitely by the SEC due to insolvency," Thomas Sterling said, stepping forward. "And we're not just here for the civil debt, Ms. Laura." Sterling opened his folder, pulling out several official documents with federal seals. "During our preliminary investigation into SSS Technologies' financial structure over the last forty-eight hours, we discovered several anomalies in the legal filings submitted by your firm, Bob," Sterling said, looking at the lawyer. "It appears you fabricated several compliance certificates for the Greenwood plant to secure that eighty-million-dollar loan in the first place."
"That was Andre!" Bob shrieked, his voice reaching a high, desperate pitch. "He was the CEO! He's the one who authorized those filings!"
"Andre wasn't the registered legal officer on those compliance documents," Sterling replied, showing a page with Bob's digital signature. "You were. And since you just signed the transfer agreement confirming that you have held sole legal authority over all corporate filings for the past five years, you have legally admitted to federal bank fraud."
Marta stood up from behind the desk, her face pale, her phone still in her hand. "Wait. What about the money? The savings? Dad transferred all his personal savings to my account three days ago. I have five million dollars." She frantically tapped her banking app, trying to show her screen to the officers. "My account... why is it locked?" Marta gasped, her fingers trembling as she stared at the red error message on her screen. "Why can't I access it?"
"Because your father's personal savings were transferred to you after the Greenwood plant default occurred," Cole said, looking at her with a mixture of cold amusement and pity. "Under the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act, any transfer of assets to a family member immediately prior to a corporate bankruptcy is considered a fraudulent conveyance. Your accounts have been frozen by federal order. That money will be seized tomorrow morning to pay off the first tranche of the bank's debt."
Marta looked at her mother, then at Bob, her chest rising and falling in rapid, shallow breaths. "Mom," she whispered, her voice sounding small, like the child she had been twenty years ago. "Mom, do something. You said we were going to be rich. You said we were going to Australia. You said we'd never have to work again."
Laura didn't look at her. She was staring at Bob, her expression turning from panic to a sudden, venomous rage. "You," Laura hissed, her fingernails digging into the palms of her hands. "You told me this was a gold mine! You told me you checked the books! You said Andre was keeping all the profits for himself!"
"I... I didn't know about the EPA shutdown!" Bob stammered, backing away from her. "The leak only happened last night! Andre must have known! He must have planned this!"