Chapter 8 - THE MAN EVERYONE FEARED
The story changed again before sunrise.
Damian’s flash drive had apparently contained copies of internal authorization logs linking Vane Global subsidiaries to illegal transfers.
Elias denied approving them.
Ava believed him.
Which bothered her.
She barely knew him.
Yet she had watched Damian lie for years.
Elias’s anger felt different.
Clean.
Focused.
Not defensive.
“Someone is trying to make it look like you stole the money,” Ava said.
“Yes.”
“And my report connects the properties to the same shell companies.”
“Yes.”
“So if investigators get both…”
“I become the architect.”
Damian nodded.
“That’s the point.”
Ava looked at him.
“Who has the drive?”
“I don’t know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I swear.”
“You’ve sworn a lot of things.”
Damian flinched.
Elias’s attorney entered.
“Elias.”
Martin looked grim.
“The Times just called.”
Ava’s stomach dropped.
“What?”
“Reporter asking about suspicious transfers.”
Elias barely reacted.
“When does it run?”
“They haven’t said.”
“So the leak is already out.”
“Yes.”
Damian stood.
“They’re moving faster than I thought.”
Security pushed him back down.
Elias walked to the window.
Dawn was beginning to lighten Manhattan.
Ava studied him.
The most feared billionaire in New York suddenly looked very human.
Tired.
Alone.
Carrying a war nobody else in the room completely understood.
“What happens if they publish?” she asked.
“My board meets.”
“And?”
“They may suspend me.”
“You own the company.”
“Thirty-four percent.”
“What happens to the stock?”
“We’re private.”
“Oh.”
“Banks may still freeze credit lines.”
“Employees?”
“Thirty-two thousand worldwide.”
Ava understood.
This wasn’t about one rich man losing money.
Thousands of people could get crushed.
She walked closer.
“Then we prove it’s fake.”
Elias looked at her.
“We?”
“You got dragged into this because of my report.”
“No.”
“I did.”
“You were robbed.”
“So were you.”
He stared at her.
Ava shrugged.
“I’m already wearing your jacket in every photo from tonight. Half the city thinks we’re engaged. Might as well earn the gossip.”
For the first time, Elias smiled fully.
It transformed his face.
“Dangerous logic.”
“I’ve had a rough night.”
His smile faded.
“If you stay involved, you become a target.”
“I already am.”
“That doesn’t mean I let you make it worse.”
“Let me?”
Ava folded her arms.
“Careful, billionaire.”
Martin looked away to hide a smile.
Elias sighed.
“All right.”
“All right what?”
“You help.”
“With conditions.”
“Of course.”
“Security at all times.”
“Fine.”
“You don’t confront Cross alone.”
“Gladly.”
“You stay somewhere secure.”
“My apartment has a broken door, so fine.”
“And you do exactly what I say if there’s danger.”
Ava narrowed her eyes.
“Almost lost me.”
“Ava.”
“Fine.”
Elias nodded.
Then Martin’s phone rang.
He answered.
His face drained of color.
“What happened?”
He listened.
Then looked at Elias.
“Graham Sterling is downstairs.”
Damian shot to his feet.
“What?”
Security grabbed him.
Martin continued.
“He says he heard about the leak.”
Elias’s eyes hardened.
Damian whispered:
“He’s not here to help.”
A knock sounded at the suite door.
Everyone froze.
Then Graham Sterling’s calm voice came from the other side.
“Elias? Open the door.”
Damian looked at Ava.
May you like
“That’s the man who ordered me to steal your report.”
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