Chapter 6
The encrypted number blinked rhythmically on the computer screen, casting an eerie blue light across Marcus’s face. The audio file from his father and Julian continued to loop softly in the background, a damning reminder of the conspiracy that had just upended his life.
Marcus reached out with a trembling hand and clicked the accept button on the screen.
The video feed flickered for a second, showing only static before sharpening into a clear, high-definition image. Maya appeared on the screen, sitting at a metal table in what looked like a holding room at the central police precinct. She wasn't wearing her wedding dress anymore; instead, she wore a standard-issue gray detention jumpsuit. Her hair was pulled back loosely, and the remnants of her wedding makeup were smudged beneath her eyes.
"Marcus," Maya said, her voice raspy but steady. "I see you found the drive."
Marcus stared at her, the anger he had felt earlier completely replaced by a heavy, suffocating numbness.
"You knew," Marcus said, his voice barely audible. "You knew my father was involved from the beginning, and you still agreed to go through with the wedding?"
"I didn't know the full extent until three days ago," Maya replied, leaning forward slightly, her dark eyes intense and urgent. "Julian approached me with the merger, but when I realized your father’s firm was using my startup as a vehicle to launder dirty capital out of the country, I tried to back out. That’s when they threatened my family, Marcus. They said if I didn't play along with the wedding and take the blame, my mother would never see the light of day again."
Marcus shook his head slowly, running a hand over his short beard.
"And you thought marrying me would solve that? You thought keeping me in the dark was somehow protecting me?"
"I wanted to protect you from them!" Maya’s voice rose slightly, filled with raw desperation. "Your father is ruthless. He’s been running those shell accounts for a decade. I was trying to gather enough digital proof to bring them both down on our wedding day, but Julian jumped the gun and called the cops early to make sure I took the fall alone."
Marcus looked away from the monitor, staring at the cold scotch on the coffee table across the room. Everything he thought he knew about his family, his career, and his life was a meticulously constructed lie.
"The feds are coming for you tomorrow morning to transfer you to a federal penitentiary," Marcus said flatly. "My father’s legal team has already arranged a closed-door arraignment to lock you away before you can present any of this evidence to a judge."
"Then we don't have much time," Maya said, her gaze locking onto his through the webcam lens. "The master copy of the financial ledgers isn't on that USB drive. It’s stored in a safety deposit box at the downtown central bank. The key is hidden inside the lining of the white floral bouquet I left behind at the venue."
Marcus’s eyes widened slightly. He remembered leaving the white floral bouquet on the altar when the police escorted her away.
May you like
Before Marcus could respond, the sound of heavy footsteps echoing loudly down the hallway outside his penthouse door pierced the silence, followed by a sharp, aggressive knock that rattled the frame.
***
