28
Ciara’s Pov
I gripped my phone tightly as I paced my office. The weight of my discovery sat heavy in my chest. When Adam picked up, I wasted no time.
“I was right,” I said, my voice firm. “Robert is innocent.”
There was silence on the other end before Adam sighed. “You’re sure?”
“I checked his bank records. No offshore accounts, no sudden deposits. He’s clean.”
“Damn it” Adam exhaled sharply. “Then who the hell did it?”
“That’s what we need to figure out. Who else has access to the money?”
Adam hesitated before answering. “The Assistant CFO *
“Then we need to pay him a visit.”
Adam didn’t argue. “I’ll meet you in twenty.”
D
An hour later, Adam and I stood outside the Assistant CFO’s house, flanked by two armed guards. The place was
- US.
His face turned deathly pale. “P–please… I can explain.”
He dropped to his knees, sobbing before we even said a word.
Adam took a threatening step forward. “So it was you.”
The
man shook his head frantically. “I didn’t have a choice!” His voice cracked as he looked up at me,
desperation filling his eyes. “Hailey–she took my family.”
I stilled. “What?”
“She has my wife and daughter,” he cried. “She told me if I didn’t embezzle the funds and send them to an
offshore account, she’d kill them.”
Adam’s jaw clenched. “And you listened?”
Tears streamed down his face. “My daughter is only six. I couldn’t let them die.”
I placed a hand on Adam’s arm before he could lash out. “He did it to save his family.”
Adam huffed. “That doesn’t excuse stealing from us
The man lowered his head. “I don’t care what happens to me. Just please… save them.”
I crossed my arms. “Where’s the money now?”
“It’s in the offshore account Hailey gave me. She has full control of it.”
Adam kicked the chair next to him, sending it crashing into the wall. “Great. So we have no leverage.
I shook my head. “Not necessarily. What happens if you try to withdraw the money?”
The man wiped his tears. “If I try to take it back, she’ll kill my family.”
A plan formed in my mind. “Then don’t take it back. Flag it instead.
His brows furrowed. “What?”
“Make it look like a security breach. Let the bank freeze the account and require her to come in and fix it.”
Realization dawned on his face. “That could work…”
Adam smirked. “That way, we track her down.”
The man hesitated. “But if she finds out-
“She won’t,” I assured him. “Do it now.”
He gulped but nodded, logging into his laptop with trembling fingers. A few keystrokes later, he confirmed, “It’s
done.”
Minutes passed in tense silence before his phone rang. His hands shook as he put it on speaker.
Hailey’s sharp voice filled the room. “What the hell did you do?”
The man stammered, “T–the bank flagged the account. They froze it.”
“You idiot!” she screeched. “Do you have any idea what this means? I’ll be there tomorrow to fix this mess.” Adam and I exchanged glances. We had her.
“If you’re lying to me,” Hailey continued in a low, menacing tone, “you can say goodbye to your family.”
The call ended.
The man slumped in relief. “She’s taking the bait.”
I nodded. “Now we make sure she doesn’t leave.”
The next day, armed men were stationed around the bank. Adam and I waited inside.
“I don’t like this,” Adam muttered. “I should be out there.”
“She’s coming for me,” I reminded him. “She knows I’m behind this.”
Adam scowled. “That’s exactly why I don’t like it.”
G
Minutes passed. Then I heard footsteps.
Hailey.
She stepped into view, her eyes locking onto mine. Fury twisted her features as she stormed toward me.
“I should’ve known,” she spat
I kept my expression calm. “Surprised?”
She scoffed. “You really think you’ve won?”
I tensed as she closed the distance. “It’s over, Hailey.”
She let out a bitter laugh. “You think setting me up changes anything?”
“I don’t think. I know.”
Her eyes darkened. *You always ruin everything.”
Before I could react, she lunged at me.
Pain exploded in my back as I hit the stairs.
I heard myself scream–then everything went black
