Chapter 4 - Ghost in the LedgerWith Charles Prescottâs survival revealed, the true scope of the conspiracy became terrifyingly clear.
"Look at the dates, Hannah," Sarah pointed out, tracing the digital paper trail. "Every time Erebus Holdings moved funds into the Prescott accounts, it coincided with major corporate bankruptcies across the tri-state area. Charles wasn't just hiding; he was using secret accounts to short-sell companies, drain their employee pension funds, and launder the proceeds through local businesses."
"Including the restaurant chain where I worked as a waitress while finishing my masterâs degree," I realized, the dots connecting in my mind with blinding clarity.
"Wait," Marcus turned to me, his eyes sharp. "What did you say?"
"Six years ago, before I joined the State Attorneyâs office, I worked at The Grand View Bistro," I explained, my voice tight. "The chain went bankrupt overnight. Two hundred employees lost their pensions. My father was the chief accountant for that chain. When the funds vanished, Charles Prescott framed my father for embezzlement. My father couldn't take the disgrace... he took his own life two months later."
Marcus and Sarah stared at me in stunned silence.
"You knew," Marcus whispered. "When you met Adrian three years ago... it wasn't a coincidence, was it?"
I looked at Marcus directly, letting the shadow of my past show in my eyes.
"Adrian thought he picked up a naive, impressionable working-class girl at a charity gala," I said softly. "He thought he was bringing home a trophy wife his mother could step on. He had no idea that every step I took into Prescott Manor was calculated. I married Adrian to find out who destroyed my father."
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"You weren't just the victim who got caught in their trap," Sarah said, awe laced in her voice. "You were the trojan horse."
"I was," I admitted. "Until they threw me off that balcony. But now, the trojan horse has opened its doors."
