Chapter 7 - The Trap Is Set“David,” I whispered, the name tasting like ash in my mouth.
“He’s been embezzling from the firm for three years,” Elena explained quietly. “When internal audits started getting too close, he needed a scapegoat. Your mother volunteered you, believing that once you were disgraced and ruined, she could control your wife, your child, and every penny you ever earned.”
Amy covered her mouth with her hands, tears welling in her eyes again. “Oh, God... Connor, what do we do? They're powerful people. David has friends on the board of directors.”
“They had power when I was blind,” I said, my voice hardening into steel. The construction engineer in me woke up, calculating loads, stress points, and structural integrity. “Now, I have the blueprints to bring the whole building down on their heads.”
I looked at Elena. “Can we use David’s connection to link him directly to the offshore accounts before he realizes Teresa has been arrested?”
“We have twelve hours before David realizes Teresa isn't answering his encrypted messages,” Elena replied, pulling a small laptop from her briefcase. “If we execute a digital sting right now, we can catch him trying to transfer the final batch of fraudulent funds into a burner account.”
“Let's do it,” I said.
We spent the next three hours in the hospital room, coordinating with federal cybercrime units and corporate auditors. Using my company credentials under strict law enforcement supervision, I sent an encrypted message to David:
May you like
“Teresa is arrested, but I secured the backup drive with the audit files. Meet me at the construction site on 4th Street at midnight to settle everything.”
It was a massive gamble. If David got suspicious, he could flee the country. But if he took the bait, we would catch both the mastermind and her corporate accomplice in one single, undeniable sweep.
