THE HEIR'S REVENGE

chapter 22: Following the Money

Maxwell's office looked like a financial crime scene at three in the morning. Papers covered every surface, laptop screens glowed with spreadsheets, and empty coffee cups formed small cities on his desk. He hadn't slept since the kidnapping attempt, and his usually perfect suit was wrinkled, tie loosened. But his eyes were sharp as a blade when he waved me over to his main computer screen.

"Found it," he said simply, pointing at a transaction history that looked like abstract art. "The kidnappers were paid fifty thousand each, wired from an account in the Cayman Islands yesterday morning."

I leaned closer, studying the numbers while Lily slept safely at the estate with Emma watching over her. The screen showed a maze of transfers, each one bouncing through different countries, different banks, designed to hide the source. But Maxwell had followed every thread, untangled every knot.

"The Cayman account belongs to a shell company called Celestial Holdings," Maxwell continued, pulling up corporate documents. "Celestial Holdings is owned by another company, Paradise Ventures, registered in Delaware. Paradise Ventures is owned by a third company, Golden Bridge LLC." He clicked one more time, and a familiar name appeared on the screen. "Golden Bridge LLC's sole director is Victoria Pierce."

The proof was right there in black and white. Victoria had paid for the kidnapping attempt, using money she'd probably embezzled from Marcus's company. Each transaction was documented, timestamped, traceable. She'd been careful, but not careful enough for Maxwell's expertise.

"Can we use this in court?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Every bit of it," Maxwell confirmed, starting to print copies. "I've already sent the complete trail to Detective Morrison and the FBI's financial crimes unit. They'll have arrest warrants within hours."

Thomas Rodriguez, my legal advisor, entered the office carrying more files. His team had been working around the clock, building criminal cases from every angle. He spread the documents across the conference table, each one another nail in Victoria's coffin.

"We have enough for conspiracy to kidnap, money laundering, wire fraud, and embezzlement," he said, organizing the papers into neat piles. "Combined with the recorded phone threats and the evidence from Marcus, she's looking at twenty-five to life."

My phone buzzed with news alerts. Margaret's media team had released the fourth article about the Pierce family, this one focusing on their connection to three bankrupted construction companies. The comments section exploded with anger from former employees, unpaid contractors, and destroyed families. The Pierce name was becoming synonymous with corruption in the city.

Marcus called while I was reading, his voice hollow and defeated. "My investors held an emergency meeting. They're pulling out, all of them. The company will be bankrupt by Friday unless I can prove the embezzlement wasn't my fault."

"Show them Maxwell's evidence," I suggested, forwarding him the transaction trails. "Prove Victoria acted alone."

"I'm trying," Marcus said, and I could hear papers rustling. "But she's telling everyone I forced her to take the money, that I'm framing her for my own crimes. Some people actually believe her."

Of course Victoria would fight back with lies. It was her only weapon left. But lies crumbled against documented evidence, and we had mountains of it. Every check she'd signed, every transfer she'd made, every fraudulent document she'd created—Maxwell had found them all.

Brandon entered the office with his security tablet, showing camera feeds from around the city. His network of contacts kept eyes on every major location, watching for Victoria. But she'd vanished like smoke, probably hiding in some safe house she'd prepared years ago.

"My guys at the airport say no one matching her description has tried to leave," he reported. "Train stations, bus terminals, all clear. She's still in the city somewhere."

"Check medical facilities," I said, remembering the comatose mother. "She needs somewhere to hide a patient requiring life support. That narrows it down."

Brandon nodded, already typing instructions to his team. Then his phone rang, and his expression changed as he listened. He held up a finger for silence, then put the call on speaker.

"Brandon?" The voice was young, female, nervous. "This is Sophia Pierce. Victoria's daughter. I need to speak with Ethan. Please."

My half-sister. The one who'd stood silent at that first charity gala, watching her mother humiliate me. The one who'd never acknowledged our connection, never defended me against her family's cruelty. Now she wanted to talk.

"Why?" Brandon asked, his tone carefully neutral.

"Because I know where my mother is," Sophia said, her voice breaking slightly. "And I know what she's planning. But I'll only tell Ethan, face to face, alone."

Maxwell immediately started shaking his head, mouthing "trap" at me. Thomas looked worried, already considering the legal implications. But something in Sophia's voice made me pause. She sounded genuinely scared, not like someone setting a trap but like someone trapped themselves.

"Where?" I asked, taking the phone from Brandon.

"The coffee shop on Fifth Street," Sophia said quickly. "The one with the red awning. One hour. Please, Ethan. I know I've been horrible to you, but people are going to die if you don't come."

The line went dead. Everyone in the room started talking at once—Brandon about security risks, Maxwell about Victoria's manipulation tactics, Thomas about legal protection. But I was already standing, grabbing my jacket.

"I'm going," I said, cutting through their protests.

"At least let me put a team in place," Brandon insisted, already coordinating with his security personnel. "Hidden, just watching."

I agreed, knowing he'd do it anyway. Sophia might be genuine, or she might be Victoria's final weapon. Either way, I needed to know what she knew. The mention of people dying changed everything. Victoria was escalating beyond kidnapping and fraud. She was becoming truly dangerous.

The coffee shop was nearly empty when I arrived. Sophia sat in the back corner, wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, trying to look invisible. When she saw me, she pulled off the disguises, revealing red-rimmed eyes and exhausted features. She looked like she'd aged five years in the past week.

"Thank you for coming," she said as I sat down. "I know you have no reason to trust me."

"You're right," I said bluntly. "Your family has tried to destroy me, kidnap Lily, and ruin innocent businesses. Why should I listen to you?"

Sophia flinched but didn't argue. Instead, she pulled out her phone, showing me a text conversation with her mother. The messages made my blood run cold.

"If I can't have my life, no one can," Victoria had written. "The whole building will burn. Every document, every witness, everyone who betrayed me."

"What building?" I asked, though I suspected I knew.

"Dad's office building," Sophia whispered. "She has maintenance access codes from when she managed properties. There are gas lines throughout the structure. She's planning to cause a leak tonight during the investor meeting. Twenty-three people are supposed to be there."