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He thought she was a broke widow. Two minutes later, he found out she owned the entire airline. Then, the real nightmare began. / Chapter 3 / 6

Chapter 3 - THE SNAKES IN THE BOARDROOM

Viral Hook: The billionaire’s grandson wanted the old man dead. But he didn't realize the mechanic knew a secret that could destroy his entire empire.

"Julian," Adelaide said, her voice dropping to a dangerous, icy register. "You dare burst into my home and insult my guests?"

Julian marched toward the table, slamming a folder down. "Guests? This man is a nobody! And Corbin Vail? Corbin has been one of our top-performing managers for five years! He was enforcing corporate security protocols at the gate. You ruined his career over an old coat!"

Corbin stepped into the light, looking smug now that he had the billionaire's grandson backing him. "Mrs. Monroe, I was only protecting the image of the first-class cabin. Julian promised me that if I served the elite, I would be protected."

Archie stared at Julian, his eyes narrowing. He didn't look at the grandson's angry face; instead, he looked at the folder Julian had slammed on the table. The folder had a distinct logo on it: AeroTech Global.

A cold realization washed over Archie. He stood up, his posture straight, the old aircraft mechanic taking over.

"Julian," Archie said quietly. "Are you the one who signed the safety waiver for the new fleet of Northstar Airbus 320s last month?"

Julian’s face instantly went pale. His aggressive stance faltered. "What... what are you talking about? That's proprietary corporate data. How do you know about that?"

"I might be retired, but I still talk to the boys in the hangar," Archie said, stepping closer to Julian. "AeroTech Global has been supplying counterfeit, sub-standard titanium bolts for the engine mounts. I warned the corporate office three weeks ago via an anonymous report. The report was deleted. You didn't fire Corbin Vail because he was 'enforcing policy.' You hired him at that gate specifically to control who gets on those planes and to make sure whistleblowers don't talk to your grandmother!"

Adelaide stood up, her eyes flashing with pure fury. "Julian... is this true? Have you been compromising passenger safety for profit?"

"He's lying!" Julian screamed, sweat breaking out on his forehead. "He's a washed-up mechanic trying to extort us for money! Grandmother, he and his daughter are scammers! Look at her—she runs a failing logistics company. They set this whole thing up at the airport to target you!"

Callista gasped, stepping backward. "That’s not true! We didn't even know who she was!"

"Prove it!" Julian sneered. He turned to Corbin. "Call the police. Tell them we have intruders attempting corporate espionage."

But before Corbin could pull out his phone, Archie reached into his mended coat pocket and pulled out a small, encrypted USB drive.

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The ink on the emergency audit report was barely dry when the secure terminal on my desk flashed a violent crimson. I hadn't slept in thirty-six hours, my eyes burning from staring at columns of ghost figures, duplicate invoices, and shell corporations linked to Dominic Rossi. But the red alert wasn’t from Rossi’s faction. It was an internal security flag originating from the estate’s main vault deep beneath the west wing.

The ink on the emergency audit report was barely dry when the secure ter...

The glass shattered into a thousand tiny diamonds on the marble, scattering the light from the chandeliers. The muffled laughter died instantly, replaced by a suffocating, heavy silence that crept outward from the grand staircase.

The glass shattered into a thousand tiny diamonds on the marble, scatter...

The heavy oak doors of my private study clicked shut behind us, locking out the clinical, terrifying silence of the kitchen. Evelyn Crane stood stiffly in front of my mahogany desk, her hands folded over her apron with the rigid precision of someone who had spent decades micromanaging every square inch of my estate. Behind her, Norah hovered near the doorway, clutching her clipboard like a shield.

The heavy oak doors of my private study clicked shut behind us, locking...

"I didn't come to the airport today to fly to New York, Mrs. Monroe," Archie said softly, turning to Adelaide. "I came because I knew you were supposed to be on that flight. I bought a first-class ticket with my life savings just to get close enough to warn you. Your grandson is planning to sabotage the airline, declare bankruptcy, and sell the assets to a foreign cartel."

The room went dead silent. Julian lunged forward to grab the USB drive, shouting, "Give me that!"

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