Chapter 10 - The Name in the Ledger
"The administrative access code used to authorize the Vanguard wire transfers wasn't Michael's," the Assistant Attorney General said over the line, his voice echoing slightly in the quiet room. "It was registered under a secondary corporate identity created three weeks ago."
I didn't take my eyes off the sofa. "Whose identity?"
"Addison Patterson."
The word hung in the air like a physical blow.
Michael whipped his head around, staring at his wife with sheer, unadulterated horror. "What did you just say? Addison? What are you talking about?"
Addison shrank back against the sofa cushions, her face draining of all color, her manicured fingers digging into the upholstery. "It... that's a lie. It's a setup! The system logs are forged!"
"The logs are cryptographically signed with her personal digital certificate," the voice on the phone continued, clear and merciless. "Mrs. Patterson, we are dispatching a state trooper unit to your residence to take her into custody for corporate embezzlement and conspiracy."
The line went dead with a sharp click.
Before anyone could move, the heavy thump of boots echoed on the front porch, followed by a loud, authoritative knock on the front door.
Michael stumbled backward off the sofa, landing hard on the hardwood floor, staring at his wife as if he were looking at a complete stranger. "You... you were working with Marcus the whole time? You were selling us out to Vanguard?"
"I was securing our future, you idiot!" Addison shrieked, losing all composure as she sprang to her feet, her mask of cold sophistication completely shattering into a feral rage. "Your father was never going to give you control of the company! He thought you were weak, and he treated me like a hired servant! I had to make sure we landed on our feet!"
The front door swung open, and two state troopers stepped into the foyer, their eyes scanning the living room.
"Mrs. Addison Patterson?" the lead trooper asked, his hand resting casually on his belt.
May you like
Addison backed away toward the dining room archway, her chest heaving, her eyes darting frantically toward the back door like a trapped animal. She looked at Michael, who sat frozen on the floor, then at David and Sarah, and finally at me, standing calmly by the fireplace.
"You haven't won," Addison spat out, her voice trembling with venom as the trooper stepped closer and reached for his cuffs. "You think you're safe in this house? Check Harold's safe again, Shirley. The real surprise isn't inside it... it's what's currently wired to foundation accounts under your own name."
