CHAPTER 77

The pressure weighed heavily on my shoulders, but if there’s one thing I knew, it’s that I couldn’t let Charles or anyone else see me crack. Not now, when the stakes were so high.

Over the next few days, Lucia worked tirelessly to secure the files and move everything to an encrypted server. I’d also instructed her to set up a digital trap—something that would alert us the second Charles or anyone else tried to access any critical information without authorization.

My private investigator, Mira, had stayed on the case as well, digging deeper into Charles’ background, tracking his financial movements, and confirming his ties with the Zorich Group. She was nothing if not thorough, and the deeper she went, the more unsettling details she uncovered.

It was late in the evening when Mira called me. I was at home, unwinding with a glass of wine, trying to piece together my next move when the phone rang.

“Ms. Bridgette,” Mira’s voice came through, urgent. “I found something. I have this stro