Chapter 2

The bedroom fell into a dead silence.

Leaning against the cold wood of the door, I could clearly hear Rick's and Evelyn's laughter echoing from the living room.

"When that luxury penthouse gets handed over, whose name is going on the deed?" Evelyn asked.

"Simone's, obviously!" Rick replied without a second thought. "Sandra's going to marry into another family sooner or later. You think I'm going to let her take a prime piece of real estate with her?"

"Exactly. You always think ahead. But what about that $100,000 base salary..." Evelyn probed.

"Her paycheck goes straight to me!" Rick said smugly. "A young girl has no business holding that kind of cash."

I closed my eyes to mask my mockery. This was my wonderful dad.

Whenever money or interests were on the line, he always unhesitatingly sided with my stepmother and half-brother. Even this absurd corporate title was nothing more than a new tool for him to bleed me dry.

I walked over to my desk and flipped open my laptop. Thankfully, they hadn't confiscated it.

Logging into the web version of my messaging app, I pulled up the AI screenshot Rick had flaunted. The layout was crude, and they hadn't even bothered to properly wipe the original watermarks.

I quickly snapped copies, gathering every shred of evidence. Then, I logged into the Federal Trade Commission's fraud reporting portal.

I filled out the forms, uploaded the screenshots, and provided a meticulous, detailed description of exactly how Rick had been fleeced out of 200,000 dollars.

Ten minutes later, a text flashed on my screen: [Your report has been forwarded to the local FBI field office.]

Moments after that, an unknown number called to confirm my location. With everything set, I closed my laptop and quietly waited for the curtains to rise on this circus.

...

Early the next morning, my bedroom door was violently kicked open.

Rick threw a cheap, poorly tailored business suit onto my bed. "Put it on! We're leaving!"

His face was flushed with excitement, his hair meticulously slicked back with an excessive amount of styling gel. Evelyn stood right behind him with my half-brother, Simone Gould.

Wearing a brand-new pair of designer sneakers, Simone rolled his eyes at me. "Hurry up. Don't make me late to check out our new penthouse."

I didn't budge. "Dad, I am telling you one last time. This is a scam."

"Shut your mouth!" Rick lunged forward, aggressively snatching me by the collar. "Even if I have to tie you up and drag you there, you are going today!"

"Sandra, you aren't trying to hog all the wealth for yourself by calling this a scam, are you?" Evelyn chimed in, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Give up. Your dad has already signed the corporate guarantee agreement."

I looked at her with pure indifference. "Suit yourselves."

...

Half an hour later, the four of us arrived at the so-called Grand International Hotel. The lobby was utter chaos, packed to the brim with middle-aged and elderly marks, all intoxicated by the same get-rich-quick delusion.

A massive red banner was stretched across the center of the room. The characters read: [Grand Celebration: Global Stellar Consortium South American Executive Onboarding Ceremony!]

The fabric was cheap, and the gold lettering was already peeling and fading. It screamed low-rent scam operation, yet Rick approached it as if he were on a holy pilgrimage.

He aggressively dragged Evelyn toward the front of the crowd. "Look at that! Look at the sheer scale of this! Luxury!"

A gaunt, shifty-looking man wearing an ill-fitting suit stepped up to the podium, holding a cheap plastic megaphone.

"Attention, future executives! Please quiet down!" he boomed. "I am the special assistant to the consortium's global headquarters. You can all call me Tony!"

The rowdy crowd instantly fell silent. Rick rubbed his hands together in sheer anticipation.

Tony cleared his throat loudly. "Today is a milestone as our consortium officially enters the South American market! For everyone who has already paid their initial security deposit, you will be receiving your keys shortly! Car keys! Penthouse keys!"

The crowd erupted into deafening cheers. Evelyn pinched Rick's arm. "Did you hear that? Car keys!"

Tony's tone suddenly shifted, dropping into something more serious. "However! To test everyone's corporate loyalty, the global headquarters has introduced a final mandatory phase.

"Each executive is now required to contribute an additional $500,000 for an exclusive equity subscription! Once this payment is processed, you will secure a lifetime share of the consortium's global dividends!"

The lobby instantly exploded into a frenzy of panicked murmurs.

"$500,000? But... they never mentioned this before!"

"Exactly! I had to borrow the first $200,000!"

...

Rick froze, a look of sudden panic crossing his face.

"What's the matter?" Tony snorted, unfazed. "You can't even come up with a measly $500,000, and you still expect to sit in a president's chair? The AI tracking system is monitoring your compliance in real-time!

"Anyone who fails to pay will have their executive credentials revoked immediately, and your initial $200,000 deposit will be permanently forfeited!"

Hearing that the money was non-refundable, Rick panicked instantly and yanked me to the front. "Sir, this is my daughter. She's the South American President. We'll pay the $500,000! We'll absolutely pay it!"

I ripped my hand from his grip. "I don't have that kind of money!"

Rick's eyes dilated with pure, unadulterated fury. "You don't have it? When your mother passed away, didn't she leave you a massive life insurance payout?"