THE PRESIDENT’S OFFICE

“Come to my office alone.”

The message remained on the screen.

I stared at it for several seconds.

Then I looked at Miller.

“No.”

He frowned.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You’re going to tell me I can’t go.”

“You’re right.”

“I have to.”

“No, Clara. You don’t.”

I held up the folder we had found inside the safe.

“They’ve been watching me for years. They know my mother is alive. They know about the ledger. They know where I am.”

Miller’s expression hardened.

“Exactly. Which means this is a trap.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you considering it?”

“Because he believes he still controls the board.”

I placed the folder on the desk.

“He doesn’t know we’ve already found the second ledger.”

Miller looked at me.

“You want him to think you’re walking in blind.”

“Yes.”

“And then?”

“We turn the trap around.”

He was silent for a moment.

Finally, he nodded.

“Fine.”

“But you’re staying outside.”

“I wasn’t planning on leaving you alone.”

I smiled faintly.

“I know.”

An hour later, I stood in front of the president’s office.

The building was almost completely dark.

No employees.

No executives.

No security guards.

Just silence.

I opened the door.

The room was exactly as I remembered.

The enormous desk.

The city lights beyond the glass.

The photograph of Clint beside his father.

But this time, the office felt different.

I knew what was hiding behind the walls.

I stepped inside.

The door closed behind me.

A voice came from the darkness.

“You came.”

I turned.

Clint’s father stepped into the light.

Marcus Harrison.

He looked remarkably calm.

Not like a criminal who had just lost his company.

Not like a man whose empire was surrounded by federal agents.

He looked like a businessman finishing an ordinary evening.

“You look like your father,” he said.

I stared at him.

“You knew him.”

“I knew Thomas very well.”

“You helped kill him.”

Marcus smiled sadly.

“Your father was a stubborn man.”

“He was murdered.”

“He made choices.”

“You arranged his death.”

“I arranged for him to disappear.”

My stomach tightened.

“What?”

“I never ordered the crash.”

I stepped closer.

“Then who did?”

Marcus looked toward the window.

“Richard.”

The answer didn’t surprise me anymore.

But I still wanted to know why.

“Why?”

“Because your father discovered the network.”

“And you built it.”

“No.”

He turned toward me.

“I inherited it.”

“From whom?”

He smiled.

“That’s the question your father spent his final year trying to answer.”

I placed my hands behind my back.

“You manipulated Clint into marrying me.”

“Yes.”

“You monitored me.”

“Yes.”

“You used my marriage to get access to my work.”

“Yes.”

My voice became colder.

“And you destroyed my family.”

Marcus looked at me.

“No.”

He pointed toward the chair.

“Your family destroyed itself long before I entered your life.”

I didn’t sit.

“What do you want?”

“The ledger.”

“You already know I have it.”

“I know.”

“Then why ask?”

“Because the ledger isn’t the thing I truly want.”

“What is?”

He smiled.

“You.”

I stared at him.

“My work.”

He stepped closer.

“Your knowledge. Your access. Your ability to follow money.”

He paused.

“Your father had that ability too.”

I understood.

“You wanted me to replace him.”

“I wanted you to join me.”

I laughed.

“You murdered my father.”

“He was given a choice.”

“He chose not to become a criminal.”

Marcus’s expression hardened.

“And look where that brought him.”

I felt anger burning inside me.

“You’re insane.”

“Perhaps.”

He looked toward the city.

“But look at the world around you, Clara. Governments collapse. Companies disappear. Politicians lie. People betray each other for money.”

He turned back toward me.

“I simply learned to control the chaos.”

I slowly reached into my coat.

Marcus smiled.

“Don’t.”

I stopped.

“Your agents are outside.”

I looked at him.

“How do you know?”

“Because I’ve been watching them too.”

He tapped a button.

The office windows suddenly changed.

Screens appeared across the walls.

Live security footage.

Miller.

The federal agents.

My mother being transported to another hospital.

Daniel.

Everything.

Marcus had cameras everywhere.

“You see?” he said.

“I’ve already won.”

Then another screen appeared.

My mother.

She was lying in a hospital bed.

Her eyes were closed.

A man stood beside her.

Richard.

My blood went cold.

Marcus smiled.

“Your uncle has been very useful.”

I looked at him.

“Where is he taking her?”

“Somewhere safe.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

“No.”

He walked toward his desk.

“I expect you to understand that you have one hour.”

“One hour for what?”

“To bring me the original ledger.”

“And if I don’t?”

Marcus looked at the screen.

“Then your mother disappears again.”

He reached for a glass of whiskey.

“And this time, permanently.”

I stared at him.

Then I smiled.

For the first time, Marcus looked confused.

“You made one mistake.”

“What?”

“You showed me the cameras.”

His smile disappeared.

I touched the small device hidden beneath my sleeve.

“Because now my people know exactly where your mother is.”

Marcus froze.

I hadn’t been alone.

The entire conversation had been recorded.

And Miller had been listening.

I turned toward the door.

Marcus suddenly shouted:

“Stop!”

The doors burst open.

Federal agents stormed into the office.

Marcus stepped backward.

For the first time that night, the confidence disappeared from his face.

But then he smiled again.

“You still don’t understand.”

I stopped.

“What?”

He looked directly at me.

“I’m not the man you should be arresting.”

Then the lights went out.

When they came back on—

Marcus was gone.

Only his empty suit jacket remained on the floor.

And inside the pocket was a photograph.

A photograph of Richard.

With one sentence written across the back:

HE WAS NEVER WORKING FOR ME.