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Chapter 11
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The Buffet Was a Red Flag Chapter 11
On presentation day, the auditorium was packed.Freshmen. Upperclassmen. Even reporters from off campus.Backstage, I looked out at the crowd, palms sweating."Simone, you've got this! You're our hero!"Lily sat in the front row, pumping her fist.I took a breath, adjusted the mic, and walked to center stage.The first slide showed the $3,600 Bosfa seafood buffet order."Everybody remember this dinner?"The auditorium went dead silent.Every eye locked on the screenshot."This dinner cost $120 a person. It looked generous."But really, it was the entry fee to a scam worth over $650,000."I clicked to the next slide.Repayment schedules filled the screen."After that first bite of lobster came a year-long nightmare—your parents' savings drained and your future buried under predatory loans."I didn't try to be dramatic.I just broke down how Ada played on everyone's greed and how the scam spread by turning victims into recruiters.Then I pointed to the interest-rate form
The Buffet Was a Red Flag Chapter 10
$50,000.Way more than Ada had blown on that dinner.The irony hit hard.Ada had dragged the whole class into a scam for commission money.I'd stayed clearheaded and honest—and somehow ended up with the biggest reward."There's one more thing." Dr. Wronski paused. "We've decided how to handle Ada Duffy."She was also a victim, and the information she gave police helped lead to the arrests. So instead of expelling her, we're placing her on disciplinary probation and issuing a formal reprimand."I hope you understand."I nodded.Honestly, Ada had gotten the best outcome she could've hoped for.The sunlight was almost blinding when I walked out of the administration building.Someone was standing under a tree nearby.Ada.The designer clothes were gone. She wore an old, faded T-shirt instead.She'd lost weight and looked exhausted, but some of that restless edge was gone.The second she saw me, she hurried over."Simone."She looked down, barely speaking above a whisper.
The Buffet Was a Red Flag Chapter 9
"Thanks to the bank's fraud alerts and how fast we moved." Officer Keen sat down and took a drink of water. "We froze the overseas transfer just in time. We managed to freeze ninety percent of the stolen money."The other ten percent was already spent, but we seized two cars registered to Mike Leach and some cash deposits. That should cover the rest."He looked at the nervous students."And there's more good news. From what we've found, those contracts involved illegal predatory loans and fraud. They're invalid."We'll issue the legal paperwork, and the loan records will be wiped. You won't owe a cent, and your credit won't take a hit."Lily burst into tears first.Then the whole office exploded with crying, laughing, and cheering.The guy who'd borrowed $10,000—with his parents already headed to campus—shook Officer Keen's hand over and over, thanking him.While everyone celebrated, a few girls who'd trashed me in the group chat awkwardly came over."Simone... we're sorry. We
The Buffet Was a Red Flag Chapter 8
Ada finally cracked.She sank to the floor, voice hoarse."Brighton Tower... twelfth floor, Suite 1208."It's an office they rent through a shell company. Usually five people are there. Mike's full name is Mike Leach. He normally shows up around three to meet new recruits..."Officer Keen's expression sharpened.He stood and headed for the door, barking orders into his radio."Teams One and Two, cover every exit at Brighton Tower! Target is Suite 1208. Move!"The office door slammed behind him, sending a cold draft through the room.The next two hours were brutal.Mr. Elmore paced nonstop, taking calls and trying to calm panicked parents.Lily and several other victims showed up. We all sat there in heavy silence.I stayed in the corner.I'd saved myself.But now my twenty-nine classmates' futures depended on what happened in Suite 1208.Ada sat curled against the wall like a discarded doll, every bit of her old arrogance gone.At 3:30, Mr. Elmore's phone rang.Officer
The Buffet Was a Red Flag Chapter 7
At the bottom was a flash drive with the recording from last night.The more Officer Keen looked through everything, the more serious he got.Finally, he looked up at me."Simone Hart, right? This is a solid evidence trail. More organized than some case files I've seen."Then he turned to the other officers."We've been tracking Mike's crew for almost two months. Most victims were too scared to talk, or they didn't have enough proof for us to build a case."With this, we can move now."The second he said "move," Ada started shaking hard.Officer Keen stepped toward her."Ada, right now, you could be charged as an accomplice to fraud."But you were coerced. If you cooperate and give us your handler's exact location, we can ask the court to take that into account."We may also be able to recover the $16,000 you lost."That was her only way out."Really?"Ada looked up at him, tears streaking her face."Only if you tell us the truth. Besides Venture Tower, does Mike's crew
The Buffet Was a Red Flag Chapter 6
In the recording, Ada sounded wired, almost hypnotic."Trust me, guys. Mike said there are only thirty spots at our school."The $2,500 is just the entry fee. Next month, you'll all be buying the newest iPhone. Who's gonna care about a little money then?"'Mike?'That name jumped out at me.I dug through Ada's social media from the past two weeks.Ada loved showing off. Even when she was doing something shady, she couldn't help herself.Then I found it.A week-old photo of an iced coffee.Behind it was an office-building lobby, with a faint logo on the glass doors.Venture Tower.Barely a mile from campus.Even better, one classmate sent me a screenshot from Ada's transaction history. It showed she'd transferred a huge chunk of everyone's 'deposits' almost immediately.Part of the payment note was still visible:[Mike—Deposits for 3 recruits]There it was.Ada was Mike's campus recruiter.I was about to organize everything for Mr. Elmore when the office door flew open.
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