Chapter 4 - The Unlikely Alliance
The police kept Ryan in custody, denying his bail due to the massive amount of missing money.
Elena and I walked out of the precinct, united by a shared desire for ultimate vengeance.
We went back to my house to tear through Ryan's belongings, searching for any clue about Vanessa.
I ripped his expensive suits out of the closet while Elena checked his hidden shoe boxes.
"I found something," Elena announced, pulling a cheap, prepaid burner phone from a hollowed-out boot.
We sat on the bed and easily guessed the passcode, which was his own birth date.
The text messages on the screen revealed a twisted, ongoing affair with a third woman.
Vanessa was not just his mistress, but the regional manager of the bank that approved our fraudulent loans.
"He used her to bypass the security checks and approve the forged signatures," I realized aloud.
Elena nodded, her eyes scanning the passionate, manipulative texts he had sent this woman.
"We need to find Vanessa before she realizes Ryan has been arrested," Elena suggested.
We found her home address saved in the phone's navigation history.
We drove silently through the dark city streets, arriving at a luxury apartment complex downtown.
I bypassed the security gate by tailgating a resident's car into the parking garage.
We marched up to the penthouses and pounded heavily on door number four.
A beautiful, terrified woman answered the door, wearing a silk robe and holding a glass of wine.
She recognized me instantly from the bank photographs and tried to slam the door shut.
Elena shoved her shoulder against the heavy wood, forcing our way inside the luxurious apartment.
"Where is the money, Vanessa?" I demanded, cornering her against the kitchen counter.
Vanessa burst into tears, dropping her wine glass onto the expensive hardwood floor.
"I don't have the money, and I never wanted to approve those loans!" she cried out hysterically.
"Then why did you do it?" Elena asked, crossing her arms sternly.
May you like
Vanessa looked at us with eyes full of sheer, unadulterated terror.
"I did it because Ryan has video footage of me accidentally killing my abusive ex-boyfriend."
