Chapter 13 - THE WOMAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Margaret Langford had supposedly died twelve years earlier.
Cancer.
Private funeral.
Closed casket.
Victoria sank into a chair.
“No.”
Robert couldn’t look at his daughter.
“Dad.”
No answer.
“Dad!”
He finally looked at her.
“Your mother didn’t die.”
Victoria slapped him.
The sound cracked through the office.
Nobody moved.
“You let me bury her.”
Robert’s eyes filled.
“I was trying to keep you alive.”
“For twelve years?”
“She became involved with Dane before we understood what he was.”
Victoria backed away.
“You’re lying.”
“I wish I was.”
Robert explained.
Margaret had helped build the financial network.
Shell companies.
Political donations.
Judicial bribes.
Property acquisitions.
When federal investigators came close twelve years ago, Margaret staged her death and disappeared.
Robert had stayed quiet to protect Victoria.
Or so he claimed.
“Where would she take the ledger?” Elias asked.
Robert looked at him.
“Vane Tower.”
Elias’s eyes narrowed.
“Why?”
“Dane has a private archive there.”
“That building is mine.”
“Exactly.”
Ava understood.
“Whatever they’re planning, they want the evidence found inside your property.”
Robert nodded.
“If police raid the building and find the ledger, the entire network points to Elias.”
Damian cursed.
Elias checked his watch.
“They’ll move before markets open Monday.”
Ava looked at the clock.
Saturday afternoon.
They had less than forty-eight hours.
“What’s in the private archive?” Ava asked.
Elias answered.
“Old company records.”
“Your father’s?”
“Yes.”
Ava’s mind raced.
“Would Dane know you don’t normally access it?”
“Yes.”
“Then he’ll plant the ledger there and create a digital access trail showing you opened the room.”
Martin’s voice came through a secure call.
“Already happening.”
Elias grabbed the phone.
“What?”
“Security system shows your credentials entered Archive Level B eight minutes ago.”
Elias’s face hardened.
“I’m twenty miles away.”
“I know.”
“Shut down the building.”
“I tried.”
“And?”
“Board authority revoked your access.”
Dane.
Ava felt a strange calm settle over her.
They had been reacting all night.
Running wherever the enemy pushed them.
That had to stop.
“What does Dane want most?” she asked.
Everyone looked at her.
Elias answered.
“Control of Vane Global.”
“Then give it to him.”
Silence.
Damian blinked.
“What?”
Ava looked at Elias.
“Publicly resign.”
“No.”
“Temporarily.”
“No.”
“Announce you’re stepping away because of the investigation.”
Robert slowly understood.
“She’s right.”
Elias looked at him.
Ava continued.
“If Dane thinks he won, he gets careless.”
“And what do we do while he celebrates?”
“We give him something else to steal.”
“What?”
Ava looked at Damian.
“My original report.”
Damian stared.
“We don’t have it.”
“We can recreate it.”
“Not exactly.”
“We don’t need exactly.”
Ava’s eyes hardened.
“We need a version containing one fake account number.”
Elias understood.
“A marker.”
“Yes.”
“Track whoever uses it.”
“Yes.”
Damian leaned back.
“That could work.”
Ava looked at him.
“You’re going to deliver it.”
His face fell.
“Me?”
“You wanted redemption.”
“I was hoping for something less suicidal.”
Elias almost smiled.
Ava leaned closer.
“You poured champagne on me.”
Damian sighed.
“Fine. I probably deserve this.”
By six that evening, Elias Vane appeared before cameras outside his Manhattan headquarters.
Reporters shouted questions.
He raised one hand.
“I am voluntarily stepping away from all executive responsibilities at Vane Global while the allegations against me are reviewed.”
Phones lit up across Wall Street.
Markets reacted.
News networks exploded.
And somewhere inside the crowd, a man texted:
HE TOOK THE BAIT.
Ava watched from an SUV.
Then her phone buzzed.
A photograph appeared.
Lily walking into a coffee shop.
Taken ten seconds earlier.
Below it:
GIVE US THE REAL REPORT.
May you like
OR YOUR SISTER PAYS FOR YOUR LIE.
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