The Betrayal At Room 237 - Full Story

By eight o'clock that evening, the rain had begun to fall over the city, turning the streets of Manhattan into a glittering reflection of neon lights.

In a secluded private booth at an elite speakeasy in the Meatpacking District, Amy sat waiting. A few moments later, the heavy velvet curtain was pulled aside, and Viktor Cross walked in.

Viktor was a tall, broad-shouldered man in his late forties, wearing a tailored dark coat. The silver falcon tattoo was clearly visible on the right side of his neck.

"Miss Sterling," Viktor said in a deep, gravelly voice with a faint European accent. He didn't sit down immediately. "You are very brave to request a private meeting with the man who burned down your estate."

"Or very calculated," Amy replied calmly, gesturing to the seat across from her. "Sit down, Viktor. I know Eleanor Bennett paid you five hundred thousand dollars for last night's job."

Viktor sat down slowly, his sharp eyes assessing her. "If you know that, then you know I am a professional. I don't break contracts."

"Even when the contract maker pays you with bad money?" Amy asked, sliding a sleek tablet across the marble table toward him.

Viktor glanced down at the screen. It displayed a live wire-transfer status report from Eleanor's main account in Switzerland. The account was marked with a bright red flag: **FROZEN BY SEC ORDER.**

Viktor's eyes narrowed instantly. "What is this?"

"Eleanor Bennett's assets were completely frozen by federal authorities three hours ago," Amy explained smoothly. "The check she wrote you? The wire she promised you? It's worthless paper. You worked for free, Viktor."

Viktor's jaw tightened, a dangerous gleam appearing in his dark eyes. "Eleanor assured me the offshore accounts were untraceable."

"Julian Bennett built those accounts," Amy said, leaning forward. "And Julian just handed the master encryption keys to the Department of Justice. Eleanor has no money, no leverage, and no future. In less than twenty-four hours, she will be on a flight to a non-extradition country, leaving you to take the fall for arson."

Viktor leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms. "You didn't come here just to tell me I got played, Miss Sterling. What do you want?"

"I want Eleanor," Amy declared firmly. "Help us catch her before she leaves the country tonight, and I will pay you double what she promised—from Sterling Global's clean, unfrozen reserves. Plus, my legal team will ensure you are granted full state immunity as a cooperating witness."

Viktor stared at Amy for a long, silent moment. A slow, respectful grin spread across his rugged face.

"You have more steel in you than that soft fiancé of yours ever had," Viktor admitted softly. "Where do you need me?"

At that exact moment, Julian stepped out from the shadows behind the velvet curtain, holding a secure satellite phone.

"Eleanor just booked a private charter flight leaving from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey at 2:00 AM," Julian reported, looking at Viktor. "She has a physical briefcase containing stolen offshore bearer bonds."