THE $200 SURVIVAL BUDGET THAT EXPOSED THE ROT AT THE TOP OF NEW YORK HIGH SOCIETY

The roar of the twin-engine jet turbines vibrated through the freezing concrete of the tarmac. Victoria Sterling stood on the second step of the boarding staircase, holding the thick manila folder tight against her dark purple suit. The twin star brooches on her lapel caught the harsh glare of the overhead floodlights like shards of ice.

"You think you've won because you followed me out here?" Victoria shouted over the whine of the engines, her face distorted with rage. "This folder contains the names of every politician, judge, and federal prosecutor on our payroll. If I go down, half of New York goes down with me."

Julian took a slow step forward, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "Let it burn, then. I’d rather lose every cent of the Sterling name than live another day built on your lies."

Victoria sneered, turning toward the cabin door. "You are a fool, Julian. Just like your father."

"She’s not trying to board the plane to escape, Julian," Chloe said quietly, her eyes narrowing as she studied the security guards standing near the aircraft wing. "Look at the cargo loading ramp. She’s not carrying luggage. She’s loading the hard drives from the foundation's main server."

Julian stopped in his tracks, realizing the truth. "She’s transferring the offshore accounts right now, via satellite uplink."

Chloe didn't wait. She bolted forward across the open tarmac, sprinting directly toward the cargo loading ramp before the two private security guards could react.

"Stop her!" Victoria shrieked from the stairs.

One of the guards lunged to intercept Chloe, but Julian tackled him mid-stride, sending both men crashing hard onto the freezing concrete. The second guard drew a heavy-duty taser, aiming it directly at Chloe as she scrambled up the metal steps toward the aircraft door.

"Chloe, look out!" Julian yelled, struggling to pin the first guard beneath him.

Chloe ducked just as the taser prongs hissed past her ear, embedding themselves harmlessly into the aluminum hull of the jet. She vaulted through the cabin doorway, sliding across the polished mahogany floor of the private aircraft straight into the flight deck.

Victoria whirled around, lunging for the cabin controls to seal the security hatch from the inside. "You arrogant little brat!"

Chloe jammed her foot into the closing pneumatic doorway just before the heavy metal seal could lock, wincing as the pressure bruised her ankle. With her free hand, she reached inside her tweed jacket and pulled out the emergency override transmitter Arthur Vance had slipped into her pocket earlier that evening.