Chapter 11 - THE GHOST IN THE SYSTEM
The ocean breeze at our new coastal cottage was supposed to wash away the ashes, but secrets have a way of lingering in the salt air. It was a crisp Tuesday evening when the federal prosecutor, Agent Miller, called with news that made my blood run cold. They had unlocked Derek’s primary offshore server. The insurance scam and the embezzlement were just the tip of the iceberg; Derek wasn't just drowning in gambling debts—he was laundering capital for an international syndicate that didn't take kindly to loose ends. And according to the encrypted transaction logs, a secondary wire transfer had been automatically triggered the moment the house exploded. A safety-net payment. Someone else was still out there, finishing what Derek and Marcus started. I walked over to Lily’s bedroom door, checking the new deadbolt I had installed myself, realizing with a sickening jolt that our cross-country escape hadn't put us out of reach. It had only drawn a clearer map to our doorstep.
