Chapter 4 - Uncovering the Plot
The Solmere penthouse was a sprawling masterpiece of glass and steel overlooking the glowing city skyline.
Charlotte walked in, memories of her late mother flooding her mind.
Her mother, Victoria Vale, had built this empire from scratch.
Victoria had died in a tragic, mysterious private jet crash just one year ago.
Charlotte had always suspected foul play.
When her own brakes failed on a snowy mountain road in Switzerland six months later, she knew for a fact someone was hunting her.
She had faked her death to investigate from the shadows.
"Arthur has moved his personal files into the master safe," Elias informed her, pointing to a hidden wall panel.
"He believes he is the rightful king now."
Charlotte walked over to the hidden panel.
She didn't need the new passcode Arthur had set.
She used the master override her mother had secretly taught her years ago.
The steel door hissed open, revealing stacks of offshore bank statements and encrypted hard drives.
Charlotte quickly plugged a hard drive into the penthouse computer.
Row after row of illegal transactions flooded the massive monitor.
Arthur had been siphoning millions of dollars from the hotel’s charity fund.
Worse, he had been selling shares of the Solmere Empire to a dangerous rival syndicate.
"He was trying to bankrupt the company from the inside," Charlotte murmured, her eyes scanning the data.
"He wanted to sell our legacy for scraps to line his own pockets."
"Look at this file, Miss Vale," Elias said, pointing to a hidden folder marked 'Switzerland.'
Charlotte clicked on it, and her heart stopped.
It was a wire transfer receipt.
Arthur had paid two million dollars to a mercenary group precisely one day before Charlotte's car crash.
He had paid for her murder.
A fierce, blinding rage ignited in Charlotte’s chest.
"He killed my mother," she whispered, the horrifying realization settling in.
"And he tried to kill me."
"We have enough evidence to put him away for ten lifetimes," Elias said grimly.
"No," Charlotte replied, her voice cold as ice.
May you like
"Jail is too good for him."
"I want to destroy his reputation, his pride, and everything he has ever loved before I lock him in a cage."
