Chapter 7 - The Syndicate
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Robert kept his eyes fixed on the street until the taillights of the black SUV disappeared around the corner. He immediately closed the curtains and locked the deadbolt.
“Whose car is that, Chloe?” Robert demanded, his lawyer persona dropping entirely, replaced by the sharp intensity of a man realizing his life might be in danger.
Chloe was hyperventilating, hugging her knees on the sofa. “It’s Elias. Elias Thorne.”
“Who the hell is Elias Thorne?” I asked, rushing over to hold her shaking shoulders.
“He’s… he’s Damian’s silent investor,” Chloe choked out, tears streaming down her face. “When Damian wanted to open The Hearth, no bank would give him a loan because of his bad credit. He told me he found a private angel investor. But Elias isn't an angel.”
Chloe explained the few times she had seen Elias at the restaurant. He never ate. He never smiled. He just sat in the back booth, surrounded by men in dark suits, while Damian practically bowed to him.
“One night, I was cleaning the office,” Chloe continued, her voice shaking. “I overheard them arguing. Elias told Damian that the restaurant was just a washing machine. That the money had to flow faster, or Damian would end up in a landfill.”
Robert dragged his hands over his face, processing the nightmare.
“The fake consulting firms,” Robert realized aloud. “Damian isn't stealing the money for himself. He’s washing dirty money for a criminal syndicate. He’s funneling Elias’s illicit cash through the restaurant's profits, making it look legitimate.”
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“And because my name is on the bookkeeping software…” Chloe sobbed.
“If the feds bust the restaurant, you take the fall,” Robert finished grimly. “Damian set you up as the perfect scapegoat. And now Elias Thorne knows you’ve run away, threatening their entire operation.”
