Chapter 5 - The Corporate Coup
"Marcus?"
Julian’s voice boomed through the intercom speaker, harsh, breathless, and filled with sudden panic.
Marcus jerked his head toward the wall unit, his hand hovering over the desk. "Julian? I'm in the office, I almost—"
"Shut up and get out of there right now," Julian interrupted, his voice cracking with an uncharacteristic edge of absolute terror. "The federal audit division just flagged our primary corporate accounts. Someone triggered an emergency asset freeze twenty minutes ago."
My breath hitched. Leo. Leo hadn't just been listening to the audio files—he had already executed the preliminary emergency freeze on the holding company accounts using my active administrative credentials.
Marcus stared at me in absolute horror, the realization dawning on him that the game was entirely over. "You didn't just record us," he whispered, his voice trembling. "You already locked us out."
"I told you," I said, stepping past him toward the office door with the forged medical power-of-attorney folder clutched tightly to my chest. "You trusted the wrong accountant."
I turned on my heel and walked out of the office, leaving Marcus standing alone in the dark room with the open safe.
I took the service stairs all the way down to the underground parking garage, my heart pounding a frantic, victorious rhythm against my ribs. When I reached the exit, the cold morning air hit my face like a splash of ice water. The sun was just beginning to streak the Dallas sky with pale amber light.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Leo. He answered on the first ring.
"Did you get it?" Leo asked.
"I have the forged power of attorney, the yacht photo with Vanessa, and the safe ledgers," I said, sliding into the back of a waiting cab that Leo had sent for me. "The accounts are frozen."
"Good," Leo said grimly. "Because you need to see what just hit the corporate registry wire five minutes ago. Julian didn't just try to strip your assets, Sofia. The holding company isn't even registered under his name."
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My blood ran cold. "What are you talking about?"
"The primary beneficiary on the entire corporate portfolio isn't Julian," Leo said, his voice dropping to a grave whisper. "It’s Vanessa. And according to the state registry records filed yesterday morning, Julian legally transferred all of his personal liability to you right before the merger."
