Chapter 5 - The Ultimatum
The ballroom was in absolute pandemonium. The illusion of unity among the elite shattered instantly. It was every billionaire for themselves.
"One down. Two hundred and fourteen to go," Evelyn said calmly into the microphone.
She tapped the tablet again. "The rules are simple. Every ten minutes, a new file is opened. A new sin is exposed. You either transfer your entire fortune to the public trust, or you lose your money and spend the rest of your lives in federal prison. There is no negotiation."
Dominic lunged across the table, grabbing Evelyn by the throat and slamming her against the oak paneling. The tablet clattered to the floor, but the broadcast remained active.
"Shut it down!" Dominic roared, his flawless composure completely destroyed. His face was red, spit flying from his lips. "Give me the override codes, or I will snap your neck!"
Evelyn gagged, but she didn't panic. Her eyes locked onto his, burning with a fire he had never seen. She reached down, unholstered the Glock, and jammed the barrel directly into Dominic’s ribcage.
"Pull the trigger," Dominic sneered. "If I die, you die in here."
"I didn't come here to survive, Dominic," Evelyn gasped out, smiling through the pain. "I came here to watch you burn. But if you kill me, the dead-man's switch on my servers activates. Every file drops at once. The doors stay locked forever. You all suffocate."
Dominic’s grip loosened. He stared into her eyes and realized she was telling the absolute truth. She wasn't bluffing. She was a kamikaze pilot, and he was strapped to the nose of her plane.
May you like
He slowly released her neck, backing away with his hands raised.
"Good boy," Evelyn coughed, adjusting her collar. She picked up the tablet. "Next up on the chopping block: Marcus Vance. Let's discuss your illegal arms deals in Eastern Europe."
