Chapter 17 - Celeste Uncovers a Financial Trail Leading Straight to Veyron

Back at Larkin Holdings headquarters, corporate forensic accountants continued peeling back the layers of Veyron’s shell companies.
Late Friday evening, the lead forensic auditor walked into Celeste Larkin’s office carrying a freshly printed financial ledger.
“Ms. Larkin, we found something unexpected while tracing the offshore wire transfers linked to Arthur Vance’s primary account,” the auditor reported.
Celeste looked up from her desk, her sharp eyes locking onto the accountant.
“Go on.”
“The money didn't just stay within Veyron’s internal bonus pool,” the auditor explained, placing the ledger down on the mahogany surface.
“A significant portion of those kickbacks was funneled directly to a private medical consulting firm in Albany.”
Piper, who was sitting across the room practicing her unassisted balance exercises, stopped and turned around slowly.
“Albany?” Piper asked, her voice dropping into a tense register.
“That’s where the car crash happened... and where I spent my first two months in intensive care.”
Celeste scanned the ledger entries, her expression darkening with every single line of corporate accounting data.
“Which medical consulting firm?” Celeste demanded quietly.
“Nexus Rehabilitation Group,” the auditor replied.
“The exact group that recommended Veyron’s exoskeleton model to our family foundation in the first place.”
The chilling reality of the conspiracy snapped into razor-sharp focus across the entire room.
It wasn't just a manufacturing defect; it was a premeditated referral kickback scheme disguised as patient-centered medical care.
The doctors who treated Piper after her accident hadn't prescribed the exoskeleton because it was the best recovery tool.
They had prescribed it because Veyron was paying them secret commissions for every high-end unit placed with wealthy trauma patients.
Piper felt a cold wave of nausea roll through her stomach as the betrayal multiplied exponentially.
“They sold me to the highest bidder while I was still recovering from intensive care,” Piper whispered, her voice trembling.
Celeste stood up from her desk, her face locked into an expression of cold, terrifying resolve.
“Pack your briefcase,” Celeste instructed the auditor without missing a beat.
“We are expanding the federal indictment to include medical fraud, illegal kickbacks, and professional licensure revocation.”
She walked over to her daughter, placing both hands gently on Piper’s shoulders to steady her shaking frame.
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“Every single doctor who profited off your pain is going to lose their license, their practice, and their freedom.”
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