Chapter 5 - The Midnight Briefing
Back in the main ballroom, the charity gala continued under a strained, artificial veneer of polite conversation, though every guest was whispering about the sensational scandal that had just rocked the elite. But inside Daniel Hawthorne’s private study, the real war room was open.
A sleek digital tablet was plugged into the desk’s secure terminal, casting a bright blue glow across Daniel and Emily’s faces.
“Here,” Emily said, tapping the screen to bring up a complex network of shell companies registered in the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands. “This is the primary conduit. Vance Logistics funnels municipal port fees through these three dummy corporations, then splits the kickbacks into numbered accounts controlled by city officials and board members.”
Daniel leaned in closely, scrolling through the lines of encrypted transaction logs. “Incredible. These timestamps line up perfectly with the city council votes on the downtown dock expansion project last spring.”
“My father’s signature is on the final authorization forms,” a cool, smooth voice interrupted from the doorway.
Both Emily and Daniel spun around.
Leaning casually against the doorframe was Victoria Vance—Vanessa’s older, far more dangerous sister, and the chief legal counsel for Vance Logistics. Unlike her hysterical sister, Victoria wore a sharp, tailored navy blue pantsuit, her blonde hair pulled back into a flawless chignon. Her expression was completely unreadable, devoid of shock or panic.
Daniel stood up instantly, his hand sliding toward the intercom on his desk. “Victoria. You’re trespassing in a private study.”
“Am I?” Victoria asked with a chillingly polite smile, stepping further into the room and closing the heavy oak door behind her. She didn't look at Daniel; her cold blue eyes were fixed entirely on Emily Porter. “Hello, Emily. Or should I call you Miss Vance’s former nightmare?”
Emily’s hand clenched into a fist on the desk. “You knew.”
“Of course I knew,” Victoria said smoothly, walking toward them with the measured grace of a predator closing in on a wounded deer. She stopped two paces away from the desk. “Vanessa is a hot-headed idiot who acts on impulse. She thought framing you for a stolen necklace would discredit your character so thoroughly that no court in the country would ever believe your embezzlement claims. But Vanessa doesn't understand strategy. I do.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened. “If you’re here to threaten Miss Porter, you’re in the wrong building, Victoria. My security team is stationed outside.”
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“I’m not here to threaten anyone, Mr. Hawthorne,” Victoria replied, turning her gaze slowly to meet Daniel’s fierce stare. “I’m here to negotiate a hostile takeover.”
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