Chapter 5 - The Stolen Ledger
Inside the master suite of the Ashford mansion, Clara was seated on a plush leather sofa while the estate's private physician carefully cleaned and bandaged the deep cuts on her leg.
Her young brother, Noah—a pale eight-year-old boy wearing an oversized sweater—sat beside her, holding her hand tightly.
"Is the mean man going to come back, Clara?" Noah asked in a small, trembling voice, his dark eyes wide with fear.
"No, sweetie," Clara promised, kissing his forehead gently. "Mr. Ashford won't let him hurt us anymore."
Clara reached into her apron pocket, pulling out a tiny, silver micro-SD card that she had kept hidden inside the lining of her lace trim for weeks. When Derek had attacked her in the alley earlier, he had been frantically searching her pockets for this exact drive, completely unaware that she had already transferred its contents to Gabriel's private server.
The door to the suite opened, and Gabriel walked in, his dark shirt damp from the rain outside. He looked at Clara, his expression softening as he noted the fresh white bandages covering her wounds.
"He's being held at the perimeter gatehouse," Gabriel told her quietly, stepping across the room. "The federal prosecutor I keep on retainer is already reviewing the drive you provided."
Clara looked up, tears of relief glinting in her eyes. "Did he agree to surrender his badge?"
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Gabriel let out a dark, quiet chuckle that sent a thrill down the corridor. "A badge is the least of what he’s losing tonight, Clara."
👉 Read Part 6 to see the ambush set for Derek's corrupt superiors.
