บททั้งหมดของ BURNING THE LINES BETWEEN US : บทที่ 31 - บทที่ 38

The mansion felt different when they returned,like a stage set where someone had moved all the props slightly to the left. Collins couldn't pinpoint what had changed, but his instincts screamed danger.Jerome felt it too. "Something's wrong."They found Akihito in his study, Miranda beside him, both of their faces grave. On the desk between them lay printed copies of the photographs from the email,all of them, spread out like evidence at a crime scene."Sit down," Akihito said, his voice carrying a weight Collins had never heard before."Father, we can explain…""I said sit. Down."Collins and Jerome took seats across from the desk, united in their silence. Collins's mind raced through explanations, strategies, and ways to control the narrative.Then he saw the envelope next to the photographs, addressed to his father in formal script."These arrived this morning," Akihito said. "With a letter. Quite detailed. Quite... informative.""From who?" Collins demanded."Someone claiming to h

The name glowing on Jerome's laptop screen belonged to someone Collins had known his entire life.Takeshi Yamamoto. His father's right-hand man. Chief Operating Officer of Tanaka Corp for fifteen years. The man who had taught Collins how to read quarterly reports, who had attended his university graduation, who had been at his mother's funeral standing silent and supportive beside Akihito."It can't be him," Collins said, even as the evidence stared back at him. "Uncle Takeshi has been with my father since before I was born.""The shell companies trace back to his wife's maiden name," Jerome said, his voice tight. "And look at the timeline. The short positions opened the day after your father announced he was marrying my mother. Before anyone outside the inner circle knew about the merger."Collins felt betrayed in a way he hadn't even felt by his father's ultimatum. Takeshi had been constant, reliable,the closest thing to family Collins had after his mother died."Why would he do thi

  They worked through the night, dividing tasks with military precision. Collins called every contact from his years abroad—journalists in London, investors in New York, board members who owed him favors. Jerome reached out to his network in Southeast Asia, to competitors who would benefit from exposing corruption, to regulatory officials who took corporate malfeasance personally. By 4 AM, they had commitments from three journalists to run the story if they could provide solid proof. By 5 AM, they had two board members willing to call emergency meetings. By 6 AM, they had assembled a presentation that laid out Takeshi's conspiracy in painful detail. By 7 AM, Collins's phone was ringing off the hook. The first call was from his father's lawyer. "Mr. Tanaka, I'm calling to inform you that you've been placed on administrative leave from Tanaka Corp, effective immediately. All company access h

  "It's fabricated," Jerome said immediately, his voice tight. "It has to be. My mother would never…" "Look at the timestamps," Collins said quietly, scrolling through the documents. "Look at the details. These aren't crude forgeries." Akihito took the phone, examining the files with the practiced eye of someone who'd spent decades in corporate finance. His expression grew darker with each page. "These could be real," he said finally. "No." Jerome stood abruptly, pacing the small office. "No. My mother built her company from nothing. She's meticulous about legal compliance. She would never risk everything for illegal profits." "Unless she didn't think it was a risk," Collins said slowly, pieces clicking into place. "Unless someone convinced her these transactions were legitimate. Someone she trusted." They all looked at each o