Chapter 5 - THE MASKED RAVEN
The annual Corvus Holdings Winter Gala was a display of obscene wealth and ostentation. Housed in the grand glass atrium on the 35th floor of the Corvus tower, hundreds of European aristocrats, politicians, and corporate tycoons mingled under crystal chandeliers, sipping vintage champagne while classical violin music echoed through the room.
I stepped out of the private elevator, dressed in an breathtaking midnight-blue backless silk gown. A diamond necklace—a heirloom that belonged to my mother, recovered by my father years ago—glistened against my skin. My hair was styled in a sophisticated updo, partially concealed by a Venetian lace mask that matched the gala's masquerade theme.
In my ear, a microscopic earpiece hummed silently.
"Audio check, Emma," Marcus’s calm voice echoed in my ear from a surveillance van parked three blocks away. "You look stunning. Security cameras in the main hall have been looped for thirty-second intervals. Arthur Vance is currently standing on the VIP balcony on the 36th floor, talking to three German bankers."
I swept a crystal glass of sparkling water from a passing waiter's tray, casually moving through the crowd toward the private service stairwell located behind the catering station.
"Copy that, Marcus," I whispered imperceptibly under my breath. "Moving toward the security access point."
I slipped past a heavy velvet curtain into a dimly lit service corridor. Reaching the secure door leading up to the 40th-floor server vault, I pulled a small, sleek electronic device out of my clutch bag—a custom decryption unit developed by Harrison Global's tech division.
"Place the bypass unit against the biometric scanner," Marcus instructed. "It will simulate Arthur's administrative thumbprint using data I harvested from his private residence years ago."
I pressed the device against the glowing blue scanner. The light flickered rapidly from red to orange, and finally, with a soft electronic beep, turned green.
The heavy steel door clicked open silently.
I stepped inside the high-tech corridor, the chill of the air-conditioned server vault washing over me. Row upon row of black server racks hummed softly in the dark room, illuminated only by blinking blue and green LEDs.
I moved quickly to the central terminal, plugging a encrypted satellite drive into the main port.
"Drive connected, Marcus. Beginning data extraction."
"Progress bar is at ten percent... twenty percent..." Marcus reported. "This is it, Emma. The complete financial ledgers linking Corvus Holdings to illegal offshore syndicates. Once this transfer hits ninety percent, we broadcast it directly to the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority."
"Fifty percent..." I muttered, watching the blue bar move across the terminal screen.
Suddenly, the heavy steel door behind me slammed shut with a deafening, hydraulic thud.
The lights in the room shifted from cool blue to a harsh, flashing emergency red. An alarm siren remained silent, but the lock mechanism engaged completely.
"Emma! Get out of there!" Marcus’s voice panicked in my earpiece, filled with static. "The secondary perimeter alarm was triggered! Someone manual-overrode the system from inside!"
Slowly, the shadows in the corner of the server vault parted.
An old man walked out into the dim red light. He was in his late sixties, leaning slightly on an ivory walking stick topped with a silver raven head. His face was sharp, angular, and his cold, pale eyes burned with an terrifying intelligence.
May you like
Arthur Vance.
"You really do have your mother's eyes, Emma," Arthur said, his voice a dry, raspy whisper that sent a chill down my spine. "Eleanor always was too brave for her own good. And just like her... your bravery will be your downfall."
