CHAPTER 15
The traitor was dragged away by the police,
leaving a heavy silence in the server room.
We returned to the executive suite,
our nerves frayed to the absolute limit.
"We cannot stay on the defensive,"
Natalie said,
pacing back and forth.
"Vance will strike again,
and next time we might not be so lucky."
Daniel walked in,
holding a printed document with a serious expression.
"I managed to decrypt a portion of your father's drive,"
he announced,
attracting everyone's attention.
"It contains a list of offshore bank accounts,
all linked to Vanguard Holdings."
"But there is something else,"
he continued,
looking at me with sympathy.
"An account registered under the name of Ethan Carter."
"Ethan,"
I repeated,
my mind racing with confusion.
"But Ethan is in a maximum-security prison,
how can he be involved?"
"He was using Vance's network to launder money,
long before he married you,"
Daniel explained.
"And those accounts are still active,
receiving millions every week."
A chilling realization dawned on me,
revealing a hidden connection.
Ethan wasn't just a separate monster,
he was part of Vance's grand design.
And if Ethan knew the financial secrets,
he might be the only one who could help us.
"I need to see him,"
I said quietly,
surprising everyone in the room.
"No,"
Liam immediately objected,
stepping in front of me.
"You cannot go back there,
Emily,
he will destroy your mind again."
"I have to,
Liam,"
I insisted,
taking his hands in mine.
"He holds the key to defeating Vance,
and I am not afraid of him anymore."
"The courts convicted him,
the bars hold him,
he has no power over me."
Liam looked into my eyes,
seeing the unwavering resolve within.
He sighed deeply,
knowing he could not change my mind.
"Then I am coming with you,"
he stated firmly,
refusing to let me go alone.
"You stay outside the interrogation room,"
I requested softly.
"This is a conversation,
that needs to happen between me and my past."
We prepared the legal clearance,
arranging an immediate visit to the federal penitentiary.
The journey was long and silent,
as the landscape outside turned gray and bleak.
I was going back into the lion's den,
May you like
but this time,
I was the hunter.
