Chapter 8 - The Rats Flee
Elena Rostova did exactly what a parasite does when its host dies: she tried to find a new one.
But her face was plastered all over the news as a co-conspirator in a massive corporate fraud scheme. No wealthy man in New York would touch her with a ten-foot pole.
Desperate to save herself, she walked into the U.S. Attorney’s office and offered to turn state's evidence against Julian in exchange for immunity.
Unfortunately for Elena, she didn't realize that her signature was on every single fraudulent wire transfer. The prosecutors didn't need her testimony; they already had the paper trail Leo had uncovered.
They laughed her out of the room, and then they indicted her on fourteen counts of money laundering and conspiracy.
I watched the news report from the corner office of Thorne Innovations. I sat in the plush leather chair that used to be Julian’s. My new lead developer was sitting across from me, presenting the latest metrics for our AI launch.
"The code is flawless, Ms. Thorne," the developer said. "It's going to revolutionize the market."
May you like
"I know," I said. "Because the lead algorithmic consultant is sitting right there."
I pointed to the corner of the office, where Leo was sitting at a massive drafting table, happily calculating quantum probability formulas on a whiteboard. He was a savant, a genius, and the true future of this company.
