Todos los capítulos de 5 Minutes to Divorce: Hidden Heiress Returns With His Baby: Capítulo 31 - Capítulo 40

It's 3 AM. I'm staring at initials on a dead man's ledger, and my brain keeps trying to tell me something I don't want to hear. Vincent is methodical about this. I'm searching like someone drowning."L.W.," Vincent says, pointing at the ledger. "Appears on seventy percent of suspicious transactions."I lean closer. The handwriting in the Finance Director's ledger is meticulous. Every entry dated. Every amount listed. Every initial carefully marked in the margin like a signature on a crime.L.W. L.W. L.W.My stomach turns."L.W. could be anyone," I say. But I'm already searching the board roster on my laptop. My hands know what my mind doesn't want to admit."There's a pattern," Vincent says. He's laid out the pages chronologically now. "Look at this. L.W. dominates for years. Then, about eight years ago, the initials change. L.S. takes over. But they appear together. Never independently."I pull up the Whitfield subsidiary records. My vision keeps blurring."One person," I whisper. "U

CHAPTER 33: THE PRESSUREThe police arrive at 6 PM.I'm not expecting them. Vincent and I are going through Marcus Crane's confession again, searching for details that might connect Leon directly to the Finance Director's death. Naomi is on her laptop, trying to trace the money flows.Two detectives. One woman, one man. The woman shows her badge."We're looking for Mr. Vincent Sterling. Is he here?"Vincent stands. Doesn't look surprised, which means he was expecting this."I'm here voluntarily," he says. "And I'd like to speak with a lawyer."The female detective nods. "We have some questions about the night the Finance Director died."They take him into the other room. Naomi and I sit in silence, listening to the murmur of voices we can't quite make out."Someone told them where you are," Naomi says quietly."I know.""Someone with access to Vincent's operation."I nod. Because that's the only way the police could have found this apartment. Vincent's safe houses are supposed to be u

CHAPTER 35: THE LINEI don't sleep.I sit at the kitchen table with my laptop and I trace every transaction Leon has made through the 13th seat. Every money movement. Every shell company. Every person who's disappeared from public record after crossing him.Vincent does the same. Naomi makes coffee at 4 AM like it's the most natural thing in the world.Clara sits across from me and watches me work like she's remembering all the things she missed. All the moments she wasn't supposed to be there for."You're going to do this," she says. Not a question."Yes.""He's going to try to manipulate you. He's very good at it.""I know.""He might refuse.""Then I burn him."Clara nods, and there's something in that nod that feels like approval. Like she's been waiting eleven years for me to become this version of myself.At 6 AM, I call Leon."It's early," he says when he picks up. There's no surprise in his voice. He was expecting this."We need to meet," I tell him."Absolutely. I've been wor

The office isn't Whitfield Tower.It's a building on the east side, nondescript, the kind of place you walk past without noticing. The 13th seat doesn't operate from corporate headquarters. It operates from the shadows.I'm three days into actually owning it, and I'm already drowning.The documents Leon left behind are a roadmap of a criminal empire. Money flowing to shell companies. Names of politicians on the payroll. Police officers who look the other way. Judges who dismiss cases. Entire networks of people whose silence has been purchased by the 13th seat for decades.And now I'm the one holding the ledger.Clara is beside me, reading over my shoulder. Vincent is pacing near the window. Naomi's been making calls all morning, trying to figure out exactly how many people depend on this seat for their survival."You need to understand something," Clara says quietly. "These aren't abstract numbers. These are real people. People who were promised protection. People who were promised mo

CHAPTER 39: THE ROOMNaomi arrives unannounced, and I can tell immediately that something is wrong.Her jaw is clenched. Her hands are in fists at her sides. She looks at me like she doesn't recognize who I've become."You forgave him," she says. Not a question."Naomi—""You forgave Julian. After everything. After he let your father die. After he kept secrets that could have protected you."I set down my tea."He was trying to protect me," I say."He was complicit," Naomi fires back. "Do you understand what that means? He was part of the system that killed your father. He just dressed it up as love.""He was scared.""So was your father. And he chose to do the right thing anyway. Julian chose the easy path and called it sacrifice."I stand up."You don't understand what he was dealing with," I say."I understand perfectly," Naomi says. Her voice is shaking now. "I understand that he knew Leon was dangerous. He knew your brother was a threat. And he didn't warn you. He didn't protect