Chapter 3 - The Ghost in the Machine
We spent the next week in a safe house,
a glass-and-steel fortress overlooking the Hudson River.
Julian provided me with a team of lawyers,
accountants,
and investigators.
As it turned out,
Kalin had been careless in his arrogance.
He believed I was too broken to ever fight back,
so he hadn't bothered to hide his tracks within the Thorne Industries servers.
"Look at this,"
one of the analysts said,
pointing to a screen filled with glowing code.
"Tamson Croft isn't just a mistress.
She’s a shell company."
I leaned in,
squinting at the numbers.
Every diamond,
every trip,
every 'gift' Kalin had given her was being billed to Thorne Industries as 'consulting fees'.
But it went deeper.
Tamson was the one funneling money out of the company to pay off the directors who knew about Arthur Thorne’s original theft.
She was the keeper of the keys.
"If we take her down,
Kalin loses his protection,"
I realized.
"Exactly,"
Julian said,
appearing behind me with a cup of tea.
"But we need a catalyst.
Kalin is holding an emergency board meeting tomorrow to try and oust the directors who looked 'soft' on him after the gala scandal."
I took a sip of the tea,
feeling the warmth spread through me.
"He thinks I'm hiding,"
I said,
my voice gaining a strength I hadn't felt in years.
"He thinks I'm somewhere nursing my wounds and waiting for him to serve me with a gag order."
"What are you thinking,
Saraphina?"
Julian asked,
his eyes watching me with a curious intensity.
"I'm thinking that I still have my invitation to the board meeting,"
I replied.
"And I still have the sapphire gown.
It’s stained with wine and blood,
but I think that makes it the perfect outfit for a funeral."
Julian laughed,
a low,
rich sound.
"I’ll have my tailors fix the hem.
And I’ll have the security footage prepared for the big screen."
"No,"
I said,
looking him in the eye.
"I don't want you to do it,
Julian.
I want to be the one who presses the button.
I want to see the moment he realizes that the 'decorative liability' has become his executioner."
For the first time,
Julian didn't look at me with pity.
He looked at me with respect.
"Then I will be right outside the door,"
May you like
he promised.
"Waiting to catch what’s left when the dust settles."
