Chapter 15 - The Final Audit
The standoff on the rooftop dissolved into a frantic blur of motion. Victoria, realizing her tactical disadvantage, lunged for the service door, but Elias Thorne’s men were already swarming the roof. Avery stood paralyzed as the high-stakes corporate drama she had been living transformed into an all-out paramilitary operation.
“Who are you?” Avery demanded, finding her voice as Elias approached her.
“I’m the ghost of every person the Sterlings erased,” Elias replied, his eyes cold and focused. “My son, Marcus, was my inside man. He’s safe now, but your fight isn't over. The data you leaked—it triggered a chain reaction. The ‘predators’ Victoria spoke of are already moving to liquidate the Sterling assets to cover their own tracks.”
Avery realized the gravity of the situation. By forcing the Sterlings into the light, she had essentially removed their protection. “I don't care about their money,” Avery said, her voice shaking but resolute. “I want my son. Where is Leo?”
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Elias looked at her with a hint of pity. “Leo is being held at the Sterling’s private island retreat in the Caribbean. They’re planning to move him tonight, likely to a jurisdiction where our influence—and the reach of the law—cannot follow.”
“Then we have to leave now,” Avery said, moving toward the edge of the roof.
