Chapter 7
Chapter 7: The Mastermind’s Trap
Mariana stood motionless in the center of the penthouse.
Her heart hammered against her ribs, but her face remained an unreadable mask. Four years of enduring the Morrisons had taught her one vital lesson: panic was a luxury reserved for the weak.
"So Andrew’s sudden greed, Brenda’s appearance, the missing emerald necklace..." Mariana said slowly, piecing the puzzle together. "It was all orchestrated."
"Andrew was an easy pawn," Julian admitted freely, leaning against the desk. "A weak man desperate to feel powerful. All it took was a few anonymous offshore investments to inflate his ego, a planted mistress to feed his vanity, and a gentle nudge to make his mother push you over the edge last night. Gabriel knew that if they pushed you hard enough, your pride as an Escalante would force you to tear them down using the master key."
He gestured toward the blinking drive in her bag.
"And by using the key while emotional, you bypassed the secondary board verification. You handed your brother the entire kingdom on a silver platter."
Down below on the street, the faint sound of sirens began to echo.
Julian glanced at his watch. "In five minutes, federal agents will enter this building. Not for Andrew Morrison, but for you. The paper trail will show that you liquidated Escalante Global’s assets and funneled them into unmapped shell accounts before framing your ex-husband's company. You’ll be ruined, Mariana. Just as Gabriel planned."
Mariana looked down at the tablet on the desk. The status bar read: TRANSFER COMPLETE - 99.8%.
Then, she did something Julian clearly did not expect.
She laughed.
It wasn't a bitter laugh, nor was it the hysterical sound of a woman realization her doom. It was a clear, quiet chuckle that sent a sudden spike of unease through the veteran attorney.
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"What is so funny?" Julian’s eyes narrowed.
"You spent five years studying my father," Mariana said, taking a slow step toward the desk. "But you clearly never studied his daughter."
