Chapter 14 - FOUR HOURS
We had four hours to stop a transfer worth more than a billion dollars.
Adrian contacted every bank connected to the reserve.
My father contacted regulators.
Claire Donovan activated emergency trust protections.
I called Detective Cole.
Everyone moved at once.
But Charles had spent twenty-two years preparing.
The reserve was divided across jurisdictions.
Some accounts could be frozen.
Others required court orders.
Others were hidden behind private foundations.
At 1:17 p.m., the first attempted authorization appeared.
VOICE CONFIRMATION ACCEPTED.
My stomach dropped.
“It worked.”
Adrian shook his head.
“Only the first layer.”
Then came facial verification.
ACCEPTED.
My father stared at the screen.
“He has a deepfake model.”
Adrian nodded.
“Probably built from years of video.”
Nathan had provided everything.
Photos.
Recordings.
Access.
At 1:25 p.m., a third authentication request appeared.
SECURITY PHRASE REQUIRED.
I almost smiled.
Nathan did not know it.
Charles did not know it.
My mother had created the phrase before I turned thirteen.
Only two people knew it.
Me.
And my father.
The request failed.
Again.
Failed.
Again.
Failed.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
Everyone became quiet.
I answered.
“Hello?”
An older man spoke.
“Evelyn.”
My father heard the voice.
His face changed.
Charles Ashford.
“You sound like your mother.”
I gripped the phone.
“You knew her?”
“Very well.”
Dad reached for the speaker button.
I activated it.
Charles continued.
“Arthur.”
Dad leaned toward the phone.
“You should have stayed dead.”
Charles laughed softly.
“I considered it.”
“Where are you?”
“You know I will not answer that.”
I spoke.
“You need the security phrase.”
“Yes.”
“And you think I will give it to you?”
“I think you will listen.”
“No.”
“Then your husband will spend the rest of his life believing you destroyed his family.”
I almost laughed.
“Nathan destroyed himself.”
Charles became quiet.
Then he changed tactics.
“Your mother stole from me.”
“She protected what you used as collateral.”
“She manipulated paperwork.”
“Then challenge it in court.”
Charles laughed.
“Courts are for people without leverage.”
I looked at my father.
“That sounds exactly like Nathan.”
Charles went silent.
I knew I had struck something.
“You taught him everything.”
“No.”
Charles’s voice hardened.
“I taught him ambition.”
“You taught him that people are tools.”
Another silence.
Then Charles said something unexpected.
“You want to know the final thing your mother recorded.”
My father stepped closer.
“Yes.”
Charles ignored him.
“Give me the phrase, Evelyn.”
I looked at the clock.
Three hours and twenty-one minutes remained.
“No.”
Charles sighed.
“Then perhaps you should ask Malcolm what really happened the night your mother died.”
May you like
The call ended.
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