Chapter 5: The Confrontation in the Rain
As Clara approached the exit doors, the automatic sensors whirred open, letting in a sudden gust of cold morning mist that quickly turned into a steady, freezing drizzle. Elena stepped out from behind the pillar, blocking Clara’s path just as the blonde woman crossed the threshold beneath the metal overhang.
Clara stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes widening in genuine shock. The leather attaché case slipped slightly in her grip. "Elena? What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing, Clara," Elena said, her voice steady and chillingly calm. She kept her hands visible in the pockets of her jacket, ready for any sudden move. "Visiting your safe deposit box so early in the morning? Or are you just cleaning up the mess David left behind?"
Clara’s face hardened, the mask of corporate innocence dropping completely away. She glanced quickly around the semi-deserted sidewalk; there were no police officers in sight, only a distant taxi idling at the corner. "You have no idea what you're meddling in, Elena. David is gone. He brought this on himself by playing a game he didn't understand."
"I read his affidavit, Clara," Elena lied smoothly, bluffing to test her opponent's reaction. "I know about the embezzlement scheme with Marcus Vance. I know you framed him."
The color drained entirely from Clara’s face. The canvas bag under her arm tightened as her knuckles turned white. For a second, panic flickered in her eyes, instantly replaced by a cold, hardened resolve. "You’re bluffing," Clara hissed, stepping forward. "If you had it, you would have gone to the feds instead of chasing me down at a bus station in the middle of the night."
"Try me," Elena replied, holding her ground without flinching.
Before Clara could respond, a low-slung black sedan pulled sharply up to the curb, its headlights cutting through the gray morning drizzle. The passenger door swung open, revealing the shadowy silhouette of a man inside.
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"Get in, Clara. We don't have time for local drama," a deep voice called out from the vehicle.
Clara didn't hesitate. She threw a venomous glare at Elena, turned, and bolted toward the open car door, diving into the back seat alongside the black canvas bag. The car squealed its tires, spraying dirty slush across the pavement as it accelerated into the morning traffic, disappearing around the corner before Elena could even catch the license plate number.
