Chapter 28 - The Ledger
“Cut the pleasantries, Marcus,” Adrian said, stepping forward and placing himself slightly in front of me, his eyes locked onto the older man’s face. “You wanted the ledger. We’re here.”
Vance took a slow sip of his whiskey, setting the glass down on a glass-topped coffee table with a soft clink. He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands over his stomach. “The ledger, yes. For ten years, that little black book has been the only missing puzzle piece in my portfolio. Your father was a meticulous man, Sophia. He documented every wire transfer, every offshore shell company, every corrupt judge in the Department of Justice.”
“You killed him,” I said, my voice trembling with a fury I had kept buried for six years. “My father trusted you. And you murdered him because he wouldn’t look the other way.”
“Your father was a stubborn fool,” Vance replied coldly, his polite smile vanishing for a fraction of a second, replaced by the ugly truth of a sociopath. “He wanted to bring down the whole system for the sake of his precious ‘justice.’ I simply allowed him to meet a premature end.” Vance leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. “Now... where is it?”
I reached into my canvas shoulder bag, pulling out a worn, leather-bound notebook with yellowed pages and water-stained corners. The very book I had carried out of our Manhattan safe room on the night I ran.
“It’s right here,” I said, holding it up.
Vance’s eyes lit up with a greedy, feverish hunger. He stood up slowly, extending a manicured hand. “Hand it over, Sophia. And I’ll let you, Adrian, and your little bastards walk away from this marina alive. You can go back to your cottage in Florida and play house until the end of your days.”
Adrian didn’t move. He didn’t reach for his weapon. He just stared at Vance with a cold, terrifying amusement.
“You really think it’s that easy, Marcus?” Adrian asked quietly.
Vance paused, his hand still extended. “What are you talking about?”
“You didn’t just want the ledger to secure your offshore accounts,” Adrian said, taking a step closer. “You wanted it so you could wipe clean the trail that connects Zurich to the federal judges who protected your syndicate.” Adrian smiled, a grim, humorless flash of teeth. “Which is why, two hours ago, a full digital copy of this ledger was automatically uploaded to the secure servers of the FBI, Interpol, and every major news network in North America.”
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Vance’s face drained of all color. The polished, untouchable facade shattered instantly, revealing the cornered rat beneath.
“You... you son of a bitch,” Vance hissed, his hand dropping to his side, his fingers clawing desperately toward a suppressed pistol hidden in his jacket pocket.
