Chapter 7 - The True Target
The silence in the damp warehouse was absolutely deafening.
Adrian stared at the woman who had scrubbed his floors for the past year.
"You wrote the encrypted ledger," he repeated slowly.
Hannah nodded.
"My real name is Elena Rustova," she confessed.
"I was the chief forensic accountant for the Russian syndicate."
"I designed the encryption algorithm that hides all of their illicit money transfers."
Adrian felt the floor shift beneath his feet.
"The Morettis didn't steal the ledger to take my money," he realized aloud.
"They stole it because they need your encryption key to access the Russian funds."
Hannah sighed, gently stroking Maisie's hair.
"And Victor knows I am the only one who can unlock it."
"I ran away to hide from them, to give my daughter a normal life."
"I chose your house because I knew you were the only man the Morettis feared."
Natalie, who had been listening in stunned silence, suddenly laughed.
It was a harsh, brittle sound.
"You are all fools," she mocked.
"Victor doesn't want the money."
"He wants to destroy you, Adrian."
Before Adrian could interrogate his ex-lover further, a loud crash echoed outside.
Heavy vehicles were suddenly surrounding the warehouse.
Bright searchlights pierced through the cracks in the corrugated metal walls.
A loudspeaker crackled to life.
"Adrian Vale, this is the FBI."
"Throw down your weapons and step outside."
Adrian looked out the dirty window.
There were dozens of federal agents swarming the docks.
Victor Shaw stood comfortably behind the barricade, wearing a smug smile.
May you like
The lawyer hadn't allied with a rival family at all.
He had handed Adrian directly to the federal government.
