Chapter 13 - The Dark Investor
Claire sank to the floor,
crying hysterically,
clutching her knees.
"He's working with a man named Victor,"
she gasped,
between tears.
"Victor owns Titan Investments."
"He's ruthless, Emma."
"Ethan owes him millions,"
"and he used your accounts to pay him back."
The puzzle pieces finally fit together.
The seventy-two thousand,
the three hundred fifty thousand loan.
It was all to satisfy a debt,
to a dangerous criminal.
"Where is Ethan now?"
I asked,
shoving the fake passport into my bag.
"He's meeting Victor,"
"at the Central Trust Bank,"
"to empty the vault,"
"and flee the country."
"We have to stop him,"
I said,
my voice hardening.
"If he leaves, you go to jail, Claire."
"And I lose everything."
She looked up at me,
her eyes full of fear.
"What about Noah?"
she asked.
"He stays with me,"
I said.
"We go together."
We piled into the stolen rental car,
heading down the highway toward the city center.
The rain had stopped,
replaced by a thick,
gray fog.
The city skyline looked like a fortress.
We parked blocks away from the bank.
The building was massive,
made of granite and stone,
a monument to old money.
Claire handed me the safety deposit box key.
"Box 814,"
she whispered.
"I'll watch Noah in the car."
"No,"
I said,
looking at her coldly.
"You come inside with me."
"I don't trust you alone with my son."
She nodded sheepishly,
understanding her position.
We walked into the bank,
Noah holding my left hand,
Claire walking on my right.
The lobby was grand,
with marble floors and high ceilings.
I walked up to the vault clerk,
an elderly woman with glasses.
"I need to access my box,"
I said,
handing her my ID and the key.
She checked the computer,
then looked up,
her expression changing.
"Mrs. Lawson?"
she asked.
"Yes,"
I replied.
"Your husband is already downstairs,"
she said softly.
"In the vault area."
My heart stopped.
He was here.
Right now.
"Thank you,"
I whispered,
moving toward the heavy steel doors.
May you like
This was it.
The final showdown.
