Chapter 7 - The Counter-Trap
"Search her," Victoria demanded, her voice ringing with vindictive joy. "Let everyone see what happens when you let a gutter rat into a palace."
The head of security looked at Nathaniel, hesitating. Nathaniel, however, looked entirely unbothered. He didn't flinch. He didn't doubt Elena for a fraction of a second.
"Go ahead," Nathaniel said calmly. "Search the bag."
Elena, her hands trembling slightly but her gaze steady, handed her clutch to the security chief. He opened it, reached inside, and pulled out... a small, black flash drive. No diamond necklace.
Victoria’s smirk faltered. "What? No, it was supposed to be—" She cut herself off, but it was too late. She had revealed she knew exactly what was supposed to be in the bag.
"You're looking for the Vance diamonds, Victoria?" Nathaniel asked, stepping forward, pulling a document from his jacket. "They aren't in her bag. In fact, they were never missing. They were logged into a secure safety deposit box by your own father three days ago to cover the margin calls on your family’s failing shipping division."
The room erupted into murmurs.
Nathaniel plugged the flash drive into the grand projector system meant for the merger presentation. Instead of corporate logos, the massive screens displayed financial ledgers, leaked emails, and a verified arson report.
"The fire at Ashford Manor wasn't an accident," Nathaniel’s voice echoed like thunder. "The investigation concluded that the fire started in the west wing library, ignited by an accelerant used by an operative paid directly by Vance Logistics. You needed the insurance payout, and you needed me dead or desperate enough to sign the merger without looking at your bankrupt books."
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Victoria staggered back, her face drained of color. Her father, standing near the back, immediately tried to slip through the exit, only to be blocked by city detectives who had been waiting in the wings.
"You thought she was invisible, Victoria," Nathaniel said, looking at Elena with open devotion. "But because she notices everything, she noticed the scent of kerosene on the janitor's clothes the morning before the fire. She told my private investigators where to look. You didn't just fail to destroy us; you gave us the evidence to destroy you."
