Chapter 14 - Amelia's Choice
Henri Voss did not notice the gun immediately.
He was watching the terminal.
The Geneva module had authenticated.
Julian was inside Vesper’s network.
Camille heard his voice through the hidden earpiece.
“Three minutes.”
Voss smiled.
“At last.”
Camille looked at Amelia.
Her hand was steady.
Voss finally noticed.
He turned.
“Amelia.”
She raised the weapon.
“Step away.”
For the first time, Henri Voss looked genuinely surprised.
“What are you doing?”
“What I should have done years ago.”
Voss laughed.
“You think Camille will forgive you?”
Amelia’s expression tightened.
“This isn’t about forgiveness.”
Camille said nothing.
Amelia looked at her.
“He lied about my father.”
Camille already suspected it.
Amelia continued.
“Thomas Grant wasn’t destroyed by your father.”
Voss interrupted.
“Careful.”
Amelia aimed directly at him.
“Be quiet.”
Voss stopped smiling.
Amelia continued.
“My father discovered one of Vesper’s laundering structures.
Your father tried to protect him.”
Camille felt the tragedy of it.
“How did you find out?”
“Bernard.”
Camille looked at him.
Bernard gave a weak nod.
“He showed me the original case records.”
Amelia’s eyes filled.
“I spent eleven years hating the wrong family.”
Voss stepped slightly sideways.
Amelia corrected her aim.
“Don’t.”
Through the earpiece, Julian whispered.
“Two minutes.”
Camille needed the conversation to continue.
“You helped them fake my medical records.”
Amelia flinched.
“Yes.”
“You stole the ledger.”
“Yes.”
“You gave them access to my security.”
“Yes.”
“Why should I trust you now?”
“You shouldn’t.”
The answer surprised Camille.
Amelia continued.
“But I can help you get Bernard out.”
Voss laughed.
“No, Amelia.
You can die beside him.”
A door opened behind Camille.
Two armed men entered.
Morel whispered.
“Positions compromised.
Camille, move.”
The first man raised his weapon.
Amelia fired.
Chaos erupted.
Camille dropped behind a concrete barrier.
Bernard kicked his chair sideways.
Voss grabbed the Geneva module.
One guard fired toward Amelia.
She ducked.
Morel’s team entered from the tunnel.
Gunfire echoed through the vault.
Julian shouted through the earpiece.
“Thirty seconds.”
Camille crawled toward Bernard.
She cut his restraints with a small blade.
“Can you walk?”
“I can complain while walking.”
“Good enough.”
Voss ran toward the rear corridor carrying the module.
Amelia saw him.
“He’s leaving.”
Camille grabbed Bernard.
“Let him.”
Amelia stared.
“What?”
Julian’s voice came through.
“Transfer complete.”
Camille smiled.
“He already gave us what we needed.”
Voss disappeared into the tunnel.
They escaped through the maintenance passage.
Outside, French authorities moved toward the warehouse.
Not local police.
Financial crime investigators coordinated through Bernard’s contacts.
Vesper’s internal server copy was already being transmitted to prosecutors in France, Switzerland, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Voss still had the physical module.
It no longer mattered.
At dawn, Camille stood beside the harbor.
Bernard sat inside an ambulance.
Amelia stood several yards away in handcuffs.
She had surrendered voluntarily.
Camille approached.
Amelia looked at her.
“I’m sorry.”
Camille did not say she forgave her.
She did not.
Maybe one day.
Maybe never.
“You’ll tell investigators everything.”
“Yes.”
“Every name.”
“Yes.”
“Every account.”
“Yes.”
Camille nodded.
“That is where you start.”
Amelia looked almost relieved.
Agents led her away.
Morel approached Camille.
“It’s over.”
Camille looked at him.
“No.”
He knew.
Voss remained free.
The registry remained dangerous.
Delacroix Hospitality was still being dismantled by Vesper-controlled debt.
And the court petition against Camille remained active.
They had won evidence.
Not the war.
Julian approached carrying his laptop.
“You were right.”
“About?”
“Voss connected the module to the master directory.”
He showed her the screen.
Hundreds of active entities.
But one name stood above them.
Not Henri Voss.
A holding company.
ORPHEUS FOUNDATION.
Camille frowned.
“Who controls it?”
Julian opened the beneficial ownership structure.
At first, dozens of trusts appeared.
Then one administrator.
Camille stared.
She recognized the name.
Étienne did too when he saw it thirty minutes later.
Charles Delacroix.
May you like
Étienne’s older brother.
A man believed dead for nine years.
