Chapter 4 - The Midnight Audit
The eastern wing of the Marchetti estate was rarely visited by guests. It housed the historical archives of the family’s shipping empire dating back to the prohibition era, protected by biometric locks and thick steel doors.
With Derek Shaw leading the way, Adeline and Enzo walked down the dimly lit corridor, their footsteps echoing softly against the Persian rugs. Adeline still wore Enzo’s oversized black coat over her shoulders, the dark wool wrapping her in an inexplicable sense of safety.
"The server is embedded behind the oak paneling in the old map room," Adeline said, consulting a small, encrypted flash drive she had managed to smuggle out of her old firm. "If my father’s backup protocol worked, the original financial ledgers showing the Ashford kickbacks should still be mirrored on this local loop, entirely disconnected from the cloud."
Derek punched a sequence into the digital keypad beside the carved oak wall. A soft chime sounded, and the panel clicked, sliding smoothly into the wall to reveal a compact server rack blinking with steady green and amber lights.
"Access granted," Derek muttered, stepping aside. "All yours, Ms. Croft."
Adeline stepped forward, pulling a compact diagnostic cable from her pocket and plugging it directly into the master port. The screen on her handheld terminal flickered to life, scrolling lines of encrypted data at breakneck speed.
"They're here," Adeline breathed, her eyes widening as folders upon folders of offshore bank accounts, municipal bribe receipts, and asset transfers materialized on her screen. "Every single transaction. Judge Ashford didn't just steal my family's firm—he used city funds to finance the very estate Camilla grew up in."
"A thorough accounting," Enzo remarked, standing close behind her, his shoulder brushing hers as he watched the screen. "Enough to put Ashford away for the rest of his natural life, even with his judicial cronies on the bench."
Suddenly, the silent hum of the server room was pierced by a sharp, high-pitched alarm echoing through the estate's internal communication system.
Derek’s radio crackled to life instantly.
“Derek! Come in! We have a breach at the southern perimeter gate!” a panicked voice shouted over the static. “Three unmarked black SUVs just rammed the security checkpoint. Armed men in tactical gear are breaching the courtyard. They're bypassing standard entry—they're heading straight for the eastern wing!”
Adeline’s blood ran cold. "Ashford."
"He didn't wait for morning," Enzo said, his voice dropping into a tone of absolute, lethal calm. He didn't look panicked; he looked like a general whose trap had finally been sprung.
"Boss, they've got heavy weaponry. Standard perimeter guards won't hold them for long," Derek warned, his hand dropping automatically to the holster beneath his arm.
Enzo turned to Adeline, reaching into his vest pocket and pulling out a heavy, matte-black Sig Sauer pistol, pressing it firmly into her uninjured hand.
"Can you shoot?" Enzo asked.
Adeline looked down at the weapon, her hands steadying instantly. Growing up in a family targeted by corporate extortionists had taught her lessons most maids never learned.
"I can," she said, her eyes flashing with cold resolve.
May you like
Enzo smiled—a sharp, dangerous expression that left no doubt why he was the most feared man in Chicago.
"Good. Because tonight, Ms. Croft, we audit the Ashford family permanently."
