CHAPTER 5 — The Billion-Dollar Trap
Within two weeks, Victoria officially became acting CEO.
Employees applauded politely.
Most secretly wondered why Daniel's funeral felt rushed.
Board member Eleanor Pierce especially.
She had worked beside Daniel for nearly twenty years.
Something didn't feel right.
"The accident report doesn't make sense," she whispered to the company's attorney.
"What do you mean?"
"The rescue team never found his body."
The attorney frowned.
"Unfortunately, waterfalls do that."
"Maybe."
She wasn't convinced.
Meanwhile, Ryan had bigger plans.
"This company is worth billions."
"We sell it."
Victoria laughed.
"Already?"
"The faster we move, the safer we are."
Greed blinded both of them.
They began secretly transferring company assets through shell corporations overseas.
Fake consulting contracts.
Forged invoices.
Hidden bank accounts.
Everything looked legal.
Until Daniel quietly forwarded the transaction history to the FBI's financial crimes division.
No anonymous tip.
No explanation.
Just documents.
Thousands of them.
Federal investigators immediately opened a confidential case.
They didn't know Daniel was alive.
They didn't need to.
The evidence spoke for itself.
At the same time, Samuel's cybersecurity team uncovered something even darker.
The truck accident that had disabled Daniel months earlier...
Hadn't been an accident at all.
Brake lines had been deliberately cut.
The mechanic responsible had disappeared the following day.
Security footage showed Ryan visiting the repair shop the night before.
Daniel stared at the screen.
His hands trembled.
"They planned this long before the waterfall."
Samuel nodded.
"You didn't survive one murder attempt."
"You survived two."
Daniel slowly closed the laptop.
"No."
Samuel looked confused.
"What?"
"I survived the first."
His eyes hardened.
"They're about to survive the second."
Samuel understood immediately.
Daniel wasn't interested in revenge.
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He wanted justice.
And justice required them to destroy themselves first.
