Chapter 7 - The Mastermind Revealed
The encrypted laptop screen flashed rapidly as millions of dollars were drained in real-time.
"Can you trace the destination IP address?" Elias asked, his fingers flying across the keyboard.
I watched the routing protocols bounce across multiple continents before settling on a final location.
"The money isn't going to a shell corporation," I said, my heart pounding in my chest.
"It is being wired directly into the personal accounts of Julian's divorce attorney."
Elias slammed his fist against the steering wheel in frustration.
The divorce attorney, a ruthless man named Victor, had aggressively pushed Julian to take half of my foundation.
"Victor was playing Marcus and Sienna this entire time," Elias concluded, shaking his head.
"He used them to steal the money, and now he is cutting them completely out of the deal."
I realized that if Victor got away with the funds, my charity would be permanently destroyed.
"Where is Victor right now?" I asked, desperate to reclaim my life's work.
"He is the guest of honor at Sienna's gala tonight," Elias replied, throwing the car back into drive.
We sped toward the luxurious Grand Plaza Hotel, where the elite members of the city were gathering.
Elias parked in the underground loading dock, and we slipped through the kitchen service entrance.
I was still wearing my casual clothes from the hospital, completely out of place among the tuxedo-clad waiters.
Elias grabbed a black catering jacket from a hook and tossed it to me.
"Keep your head down and follow me to the audio-visual control room," he instructed.
We navigated the busy, chaotic kitchen and climbed a narrow metal staircase overlooking the main ballroom.
Through the glass window, I saw Sienna standing on the brightly lit stage in a stunning red gown.
Marcus stood by her side, completely unaware that his bank accounts were currently empty.
Victor sat in the front row, sipping expensive champagne with a smug, victorious smile on his face.
We slipped into the control room, and Elias immediately locked the heavy door behind us.
He connected his laptop to the main projection system and began overriding the hotel's security protocols.
"I need exactly two minutes to bypass the firewall and project the ledger onto the big screen," Elias whispered.
Suddenly, the control room door rattled violently from the outside.
A heavy shoulder slammed against the wood, splintering the door frame instantly.
The door burst open, and Victor's massive, armed bodyguard stepped into the tiny room.
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He raised a silenced pistol and aimed it directly at Elias's head.
"Step away from the computer, Mr. Thorne," the bodyguard growled.
