Chapter 6 - The Digital Trap
Julian’s thumb hovered dangerously over the small red button on the remote control.
He proudly announced that pressing the button would permanently scramble the encryption keys to the stolen money.
He claimed that if I did not drop the custody case right now, Noah’s entire college fund and our life savings would vanish into the digital abyss forever.
Judge Thorne immediately ordered Julian to surrender the device to the bailiff.
Julian refused, taking a defiant step backward and raising the remote higher in the air.
He looked at me with a desperate, manic gleam in his eyes, believing he finally held the ultimate leverage.
I stared at him for a long moment before letting out a soft, genuine sigh of pity.
I calmly closed my laptop on the desk and crossed my arms over my chest.
"Press the button, Julian," I challenged him in a steady, unwavering voice.
Julian’s arrogant smile faltered slightly as confusion washed over his face.
"I am not bluffing, Ava, I will destroy everything," he threatened nervously.
"I know you are not bluffing, Julian, so please, press the button," I insisted confidently.
Julian gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and pressed the red button with absolute malice.
He opened his eyes, expecting to see the financial spreadsheets on the projector screen vanish into corrupted code.
Absolutely nothing happened on the screen.
Julian frantically pressed the button three more times, his breathing becoming shallow and panicked.
I walked closer to his table and offered him a condescending, victorious smile.
I explained that a good forensic accountant never relies on the original, vulnerable servers.
I revealed that I had completely mirrored all of his digital financial records onto an offline, physical hard drive three weeks ago.
His remote control was entirely useless because the data he was trying to wipe had already been legally seized by my private investigator.
Julian dropped the useless remote control onto the wooden floor in total defeat.
He ran his hands through his perfectly styled hair, ruining his pristine courtroom appearance.
Judge Thorne banged her gavel and declared that Julian was officially a flight risk.
She ordered the bailiffs to detain Julian immediately until the financial authorities could arrive.
Two heavy-set bailiffs approached Julian, instructing him to place his hands behind his back.
Julian looked at his mother for help, but Eleanor simply turned her wheelchair away in shame.
He realized his entire life was completely ruined, and he had absolutely no one left to blame but himself.
He suddenly shoved one of the bailiffs hard in the chest, causing the man to stumble backward.
Julian sprinted toward the side exit of the courtroom, desperately trying to escape justice.
The second bailiff drew his taser and fired, striking Julian squarely in the center of his back.
Julian screamed in pain and collapsed onto the floor, twitching violently as the electric current subdued him.
May you like
As they slapped heavy steel handcuffs on his wrists, Julian looked up at me with a terrifying grin.
"You might have the money, but I already sold the house to the syndicate," Julian whispered through gritted teeth.
