Chapter 4 - The Power Outage and the Missing Evidence
The sudden plunge into darkness sent a shriek of alarm echoing down the concrete corridor outside the security office.
My hand instinctively shot out in the dark, my fingers gripping the edge of the oak table as I listened for the heavy footsteps of whoever had just disabled the building's main generator.
"Stay behind me, Maya," my father muttered, his voice dropping an octave as he reached into his tuxedo jacket and drew a small, polished brass key from his inner pocket.
A sharp metallic click echoed in the room as a backup generator kicked on, bathing us in the sickly, amber glow of emergency exit lights.
The heavy steel door swung open slowly, creaking on its hinges, revealing an empty hallway lined with flickering smoke detectors.
Marcus rushed back into the room, his breathing ragged, holding the confiscated smartphone up like a shield.
"It’s gone," Marcus panted, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"The physical briefcase with the primary audit trail—it vanished from the desk while the lights were out."
I stared at the empty spot on the table where the glowing financial records had rested only moments before.
"Arthur Sterling must have a secondary override code to the security grid," I said, a cold realization dawning on my mind.
"He knew we were closing in on him."
My father’s expression hardened into a mask of pure fury as he looked down at the empty table.
"If Arthur has those physical files, he can fabricate a counter-suit and freeze all foundation assets by morning," Julian warned, turning toward the door.
"We need to intercept him before he reaches the subterranean parking garage."
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As we sprinted out into the corridor, a sudden explosion rocked the building beneath our feet, blowing open the stairwell doors and filling the air with thick, gray smoke.
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