Chapter 10 - The False Victory
Harper stared at the manila folder, a cold sense of dread creeping slowly up her spine.
She cautiously opened the heavy cover, expecting to see her forged marriage certificate or the recovered financial ledgers.
Instead, the folder was filled with dozens of high-resolution surveillance photographs.
The pictures showed Derek meeting secretly with a tall, elegant woman in various dark restaurants and secluded parks over the last six months.
Harper recognized the woman instantly.
It was Chloe, the bright pink-haired cybersecurity hacker from Roman’s underground bunker.
Harper flipped to the last page in the folder and found a printed transcript of an encrypted text message conversation between them.
The messages explicitly detailed their massive, coordinated plan to steal Roman’s syndicate money and frame Harper for the entire embezzlement.
Derek had intentionally acted unstable and violent to force Harper into seeking protection from Roman, knowing the mafia boss would eventually bring her directly to the underground server room.
Once Harper was inside the bunker, Chloe used her biometric fingerprint from a planted water glass to finally unlock the offshore accounts.
The explosion at the accounting firm and the mercenary attack on the bunker were all carefully orchestrated distractions to cover their digital tracks.
Harper felt the air completely leave her lungs as the horrifying truth finally clicked into place.
Derek had never been the mastermind; he was just a disposable pawn playing his part perfectly.
The door to the master suite suddenly clicked open behind her.
Harper spun around, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs.
Chloe stood in the doorway, holding a suppressed pistol aimed directly at Harper's chest.
Her bright pink hair was tied back, and her face was devoid of the quirky, sympathetic hacker persona she had played so well.
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"I really am sorry, Harper," Chloe said smoothly, stepping into the luxurious bedroom and locking the heavy door behind her.
"But I can't let Roman wake up from surgery and realize I am the one who emptied his bank accounts an hour ago."
