Chapter 23 - Cracks in the Empire
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By midnight, the civil injunction against Vanguard Logistics had been signed by a federal judge. Their northern shipping ports were completely shut down, stranding billions of dollars in cargo.
I sat alone in my private suite at the top of Sterling Imperial, looking down at the quiet city lights. Clara was sleeping soundly in the adjoining nursery, guarded by two private security detail members outside the door.
Suddenly, my laptop screen flickered red. An automated system alert popped up:
SECURITY BREACH: INTERNAL DATA CENTER SERVER 04.
My blood ran cold. Server 04 contained the private encrypted files for the Elena Sterling Foundation, including the physical locations of all four secret domestic violence shelters I had opened across the state.
I slammed my hand onto the intercom desk button. "Sarah! Get IT security up here right now!"
Within three minutes, my Chief Technology Officer, Marcus Vance—no relation to Arthur, a brilliant engineer I had personally hired—rushed into the room.
"Director Sterling, someone inside the building just used a high-level master keycard to download the shelter location files!" Marcus reported, his forehead slick with sweat.
"Who owns that keycard?" I demanded, my tone sharper than broken glass.
Marcus typed rapidly on his laptop, his face paling as the access log decrypted on screen.
"It's... it's keycard 007," Marcus whispered in horror. "Belonging to your chief financial officer, David Miller."
I stood up slowly, a cold, lethal calm settling over me.
David Miller was a senior executive I had inherited from the old Sterling board. He had been with the company for eight years.
"Where is Miller right now?" I asked softly.
May you like
"He just tapped out of the underground parking garage twenty seconds ago," Marcus replied.
"Block his vehicle at the gate," I ordered coldly. "No one betrays my trust and walks out of this building to tell about it."
