Chapter 6 - The Choice
The blinding tactical lights turned the dark alleyway into a chaotic, terrifying nightmare.
Four heavily armed police officers slammed Daniel roughly against the cold brick wall.
Claire screamed at them to stop, waving her arms frantically in a desperate attempt to intervene.
A sharply dressed police captain stepped forward, flashing a shiny silver badge.
“Daniel Brooks, you are under arrest for corporate espionage and the intentional arson of your own business.”
Claire stared at the captain in absolute shock, fully realizing the terrifying extent of her father’s power.
Richard Whitmore had not only ordered the brutal attack on the shop, but he had successfully framed Daniel for it.
Daniel did not resist as they violently clicked the cold steel handcuffs around his wrists.
He looked back at Claire, his blue-gray eyes silently begging her to protect the encrypted hard drive.
She slipped the tiny device deep into her coat pocket, nodding slightly to let him know she understood.
The police dragged him to a waiting cruiser, the flashing red and blue lights painting the neighborhood in chaotic colors.
Claire did not return to her luxury apartment that night, knowing her father would undoubtedly be waiting for her.
She checked into a cheap, unlisted motel under a fake name, locking the flimsy wooden door behind her.
She plugged the encrypted drive into her personal laptop, her fingers flying across the keyboard to bypass the security.
When the hidden files finally opened, Claire gasped as she read the detailed financial logs.
Her father had been systematically draining the family company for over a decade to fund illegal offshore operations.
More importantly, the documents proved that her grandfather had legally transferred total ownership of the company directly to Claire.
Richard had forged her signature on a secret proxy agreement when she was just eighteen years old.
She was not just a wealthy heiress; she was the sole, rightful owner of Whitmore Meridian Group.
If she wanted to save Daniel, she had to play her father’s twisted game and trap him legally.
The next morning, she walked into the Whitmore executive building, her head held incredibly high.
She marched into her father’s office, threw a thick stack of legal papers onto his polished walnut desk.
“I will sign away my eighty million dollar inheritance and give you full control,” she said coldly.
Richard smiled triumphantly, believing he had finally broken his stubborn, impossible daughter.
He handed her a gold pen, eagerly watching as she signed her name on the dotted line.
“A wise choice, Claire,” he gloated, pulling the papers back toward him.
May you like
Claire smiled back, a sharp, dangerous expression that made Richard’s blood suddenly run cold.
“I agree, especially since I just gave away an inheritance that belongs to a company you no longer own.”
