Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5 — The Final Harvest
Garrett fell to his knees on the gravel.
He buried his face in his hands, sobbing loudly, a pathetic, broken mess of a man.
The arrogance, the entitlement, the smug grin—it was all gone.
He was a hollow shell, waiting for the wolves to devour him.
I stood there, feeling the warm morning sun on my face.
I thought I would feel a rush of vindictive joy.
I thought I would want to gloat.
But looking at him, I realized I didn't feel anything at all.
He was nothing to me. He was just a trespasser on corporate property.
The lead security officer stepped forward, tapping his earpiece.
"Ms. Fry," the officer said respectfully.
"We have the local authorities on the line."
"Do you wish to press formal assault charges for the physical altercation?"
I looked at my wrist. It was already beginning to bruise a deep, ugly purple where Garrett had grabbed me.
I looked at my brother, kneeling in the dirt.
"Yes," I said clearly.
Garrett's head snapped up, his eyes red and swollen.
"Sienna, no! Please!" he begged, crawling a few inches toward me.
"If I go to jail, Mickey's guys will take everything! I won't be able to defend myself!"
"You should have thought of that before you slammed me against a truck and threatened to break my arm," I replied.
"You made your choices, Garrett. Now you get to live through the consequences."
In the distance, the faint wail of police sirens began to echo through the valley.
Amanda Cortez walked up beside me, closing her briefcase with a satisfying, sharp click.
"Brilliantly handled, Sienna," Amanda murmured, a proud smile on her face.
"The police will arrest him for trespassing and assault."
"And once he's in the system, his creditors will strip his assets completely clean."
"He will walk out of lockup with absolutely nothing."
I nodded, watching the flashing red and blue lights approaching down the main road.
Two local sheriff's cruisers pulled into the driveway, boxing in Garrett's moving truck.
Four deputies stepped out.
The Verdant Ventures security team immediately briefed them, handing over a tablet that had recorded the entire physical assault on high-definition security cameras mounted in the trees.
The evidence was undeniable.
Two deputies walked over to Garrett, pulled his arms behind his back, and secured the steel handcuffs around his wrists.
He didn't fight back.
He just wept.
They led him to the back of the cruiser and pushed him into the backseat.
As the police car drove away, kicking up a final cloud of dust, the silence returned to Sunset Lavender Co.
The security team discreetly retreated to their SUVs, holding the perimeter but giving me space.
Amanda patted my shoulder.
"I'll be in touch next week to discuss the new irrigation budget," she said warmly.
"Take the weekend off, Sienna. You've earned it."
Amanda got into her car and drove away, leaving me alone in the center of my farm.
I took a deep breath.
The air smelled sweet, earthy, and perfectly clean.
I walked past the moving truck that Garrett had abandoned.
I walked to the edge of the lavender fields.
The vibrant purple flowers stretched out for acres, swaying gently in the morning breeze.
This dirt hadn't been useless.
It had just been waiting for someone who was willing to bleed for it.
I was Sienna Fry.
Managing Director. Multi-millionaire. And entirely free.
May you like
I knelt down, running my fingers through the blooming lavender, and smiled.
The harvest this year was going to be absolutely beautiful.
