Chapter 14 - Arrival in Geneva
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The Sterling Enterprises private jet touched down on the tarmac of Geneva Airport just as the sun was beginning to set behind the snow-capped peaks of the Alps. The cold, crisp Swiss air was a sharp contrast to the humid chaos of New York.
Maya and Leo breezed through private customs and stepped into a waiting black Mercedes. Maya stared out the tinted window as the car glided smoothly through the pristine, wealthy streets of Geneva.
"I've set up the meeting with Herr Hoffman," Leo said, looking up from his tablet. "He is the senior managing director of the Banque Privee. But I have to warn you, Maya, Hoffman has a reputation for being a stone-cold vault. He doesn't yield to pressure, and he certainly doesn't yield to American CEOs demanding access to anonymous accounts."
"Everyone yields when you find their pressure point, Leo," Maya replied calmly, adjusting the collar of her sharp winter coat. "Hoffman is a banker. He deals in leverage and risk. We just have to prove that protecting Victoria’s shadow partner is a higher risk than cooperating with us."
"And how exactly do we do that?"
Maya patted the sleek leather briefcase sitting on the seat beside her. Inside was the black ledger, along with a newly compiled dossier of Hoffman's own questionable banking practices that Maya’s cyber-security team had hastily dug up during the nine-hour flight.
The car pulled up to a massive, imposing stone building that looked more like a medieval fortress than a modern financial institution. There were no flashy neon signs, just a discrete brass plaque next to heavy, reinforced oak doors.
"This is it," Leo said, swallowing hard.
May you like
Maya grabbed her briefcase and stepped out of the car. She looked up at the intimidating facade, feeling the weight of the moment. This was no longer just about taking back a company; it was about hunting down the ghosts that had haunted her family for years.
"Let's go slay a dragon," Maya said, pushing open the heavy oak doors and stepping into the lion's den.
