Chapter 4 - The Infiltration
The following night, the Beverly Hills mansion was glowing like a diamond in the hills. Valets parked Ferraris and Bentleys while Los Angeles's elite drank champagne on the sprawling lawns.
I didn't arrive in a limousine. I arrived in the back of a catering truck, dressed in the crisp white uniform of a waiter. Maria was beside me, wearing a catering manager’s blazer.
"The vault is in Marcus's private study on the third floor," Maria whispered as we navigated the busy, chaotic kitchen. "I will cut the security feed for exactly three minutes. You have to get Eleanor into that room."
I grabbed a silver tray of champagne flutes and walked out into the ballroom.
It was surreal. I was serving drinks to the very people who used to beg for my investments. I kept my head down, moving through the crowd until I spotted her.
Eleanor.
She was dripping in diamonds that I had paid for, laughing loudly with a group of politicians. Marcus stood beside her, looking arrogant and untouchable.
I waited until Eleanor walked toward the private hallways to use the restroom. I stepped out of the shadows, blocking her path.
"Hello, Eleanor," I said.
She froze. The color drained from her perfectly contoured face. "Richard? How did you... the police..."
"I'm out," I said, stepping closer. "And I have the ghost ledger, Eleanor. The cartel money. All of it."
Panic flared in her eyes. "You're insane."
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"If you don't want me to hand it to the FBI tonight, you are going to walk upstairs to the study right now. Or I make a scene that will ruin your life in front of every camera in this house."
Terrified of the public scandal, she turned and walked toward the stairs. The trap was set.
