My brother-in-law called from his business trip and asked me to water his plants. But when I unlocked his house, I found his frail, delirious niece curled up in a filthy spare room — and beside her was something that exposed the horrifying truth.

Instantly, a deafening siren shattered the quiet elegance of the bank. Strobe lights flashed violently. Sprinklers embedded in the high ceilings activated, raining down a torrent of freezing water.

Panic erupted. Customers screamed, slipping on the marble floors as they stampeded toward the main exits. The guard momentarily let go of my arm to shield his face from the sudden deluge of water.

It was a split-second window, and I took it.

I kicked him hard in the kneecap, ignoring his grunt of pain, and sprinted into the chaotic crowd. I shoved past bewildered executives and screaming tellers, blending into the frantic herd evacuating through the front doors.

Bursting out onto the sidewalk, I scanned the street wildly. Marcus’s stolen car was parked illegally near a fire hydrant, the engine revving. I sprinted toward it, yanked the back door open, and threw myself inside.

"Drive! Drive now!" I screamed.

Marcus slammed on the gas, the tires squealing as we merged violently into Manhattan traffic.

"Claire, what happened? Where's the bag?" Julian demanded, looking at my bruised neck and soaking wet clothes.

"Arthur," I panted, trying to catch my breath. "He was waiting for me. He took the ledgers. He took Elena’s letter. He has everything."

Julian sank back against the seat, burying his face in his hands. "It's over. We have no proof. And now he knows we were at the bank. He’s going to hunt us down."

"No," Marcus said, his voice surprisingly calm as he weaved through a yellow light. "Arthur thinks he has everything. But he forgot who he's dealing with."

I looked at Marcus in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Marcus reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small, black USB drive. "Elena didn't just leave a physical letter. Four years ago, she mailed me an encrypted flash drive. I couldn't break the password. But Julian... what was the name of the shell company?"

"Azure Holdings," Julian whispered.