Chapter 4: The House of Cards
The fallout was instantaneous. The whispers turned into a roar. Guests who had fawned over Richard minutes ago were now pulling away, terrified of being caught in the splash zone. Phones were lighting up with calls to lawyers, regulators, and news outlets.
Richard was no longer the master of the room; he was a trapped animal. He tried to scramble toward the stage to rip the cables out, but Evelyn stepped into his path. She didn't touch him, but her presence was a wall.
May you like
"Your reputation, Richard? Gone," she said, her voice low. "Your assets? Frozen by the very banks you tried to defraud. Your life? It’s over."
Sirens began to wail in the distance—not for the girl, but for the man who had ordered her arrest. The authorities were already on their way, tipped off by an anonymous email that had been set to trigger the moment the drive was plugged into a network. Evelyn hadn't just found the drive; she had orchestrated the entire exposure. She had known exactly where Richard would be, and she had ensured that his own arrogance would be his executioner.
