Chapter 11 - The Red Ledger
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Chloe reached into the dark cavity of the safe.
She pulled out a thick stack of hundred-dollar bills bound in rubber bands, tossing them aside as if they were garbage. Next came two foreign passports—both bearing Damian’s photo, but completely different names.
“He was planning to run,” Robert muttered, staring at the passports. “He knew Elias would eventually clean house.”
Finally, Chloe pulled out exactly what we were looking for.
A thick, leather-bound red ledger book.
Robert grabbed it, flipping through the pages. The handwriting was unmistakably Damian’s. It detailed exact cash drops, dates, times, and names of Elias Thorne’s associates. More importantly, folded inside the back cover of the ledger, was the original, wet-ink copy of the forged marriage contract.
“We have it,” Robert breathed, a triumphant smile crossing his face. “We have everything. This is a federal RICO case waiting to happen.”
“Let’s get out of here before—” I started to say.
I was cut off by the unmistakable sound of a heavy door slamming shut in the front of the restaurant.
Heavy footsteps echoed against the hardwood floor of the main dining room. They were fast, purposeful, and heading directly toward the hallway.
Chloe froze in pure terror. The color drained completely from her face.
“He’s supposed to be golfing,” she whispered, panic rising in her throat.
“Elias must have tipped him off about the police visit this morning,” Robert hissed, shoving the red ledger and the contract inside his leather briefcase. “He came back to clear the safe.”
The footsteps grew louder.
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“Chloe! Are you in here, you little rat?!” Damian’s voice roared down the hallway, echoing with violent fury. “I saw the security camera feed activate!”
We were trapped.
