The penthouse living room, perched sixty floors above the glittering, chaotic grid of the Chicago skyline, was a masterpiece of modern luxury and calculated intimidation. The architectural design was intentional; the floor-to-ceiling windows were meant to make whoever stood inside feel as though they ruled the world below. As the late afternoon sun began its slow descent, it cast a warm, cinematic, fiery orange glow across the imported Italian leather sofas and the polished mahogany floors. In stark contrast, the far corners of the massive room fell into deep, heavy teal shadows. It was a room divided perfectly between light and dark, much like the marriage that was about to end within its walls.

Evelyn stared at the empty pages in absolute horror.

"Someone beat us to the vault," Elias said, accelerating the van into the busy city traffic.

Evelyn's mind raced through every possible suspect who knew about the Volkov ledger.

"Only a high-ranking syndicate member could bypass those bank protocols," she reasoned.

"Or someone who has been playing both sides from the very beginning," a voice echoed from the back of the van.

Evelyn spun around and aimed her gun at the dark rear cabin of the vehicle.

Richard sat casually on the floorboards, holding a heavy assault rifle aimed directly at Elias's seat.

"Keep driving, Elias, or I blow a hole through your spine," Richard commanded.

"How did you escape the syndicate?" Evelyn demanded, keeping her gun aimed at her husband's head.

Richard laughed, a cruel, ugly sound that filled the small space.

"I didn't escape them, Evelyn, I made a deal with them."

"I gave them the real ledger yesterday in exchange for a clean slate and full control of your assets."

Evelyn felt a sickening wave of realization wash over her.

"Then why did they kidnap Maya?" she asked, her voice trembling with rising panic.

"They didn't kidnap her," Richard smirked maliciously.

"I hired private mercenaries to grab her so you would be distracted running around the city."

He had orchestrated the entire kidnapping just to keep Evelyn busy while he finalized the legal theft of her company.

"You are a monster," Evelyn whispered, preparing to pull the trigger despite the risk.

Suddenly, Elias slammed on the brakes with brutal force.

The Clumsy Maid Bathed His Dog—Then The Mafia Boss Said She Wasn’t Leavi...

She found her husband with another woman and walked away so quietly that...

The Mafia Boss Asked a Disabled Widow If She Was Okay

The van crashed violently into a concrete barrier, sending everyone flying forward.

Evelyn struck her head against the dashboard and the world went entirely black.

Chapter 6 - The Inside Job