Chapter 2: Scorched Earth
At two o'clock that morning, she sat beneath the harsh fluorescent lights of an interview room inside the local police station.
The room was cold.
Bare.
Silent.
Detective Daniel Miller slid a lukewarm cup of coffee across the metal table before taking a seat opposite her.
"You understand what you've just handed us?" he asked, resting one hand on the thick evidence folder and the USB drive lying beside it.
She nodded.
"I do."
Her voice was calm.
Almost detached.
"That drive contains seven years of financial records."
She looked directly into his eyes.
"Bank statements. Forged signatures. Shell companies. Wire transfers to offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands."
She paused.
"My father didn't just steal my inheritance from my grandfather's trust."
"He stole millions from his own company."
"My mother helped hide the money through her real estate business."
"My brother accepted payments listed as consulting fees for work he never performed."
Detective Miller opened the folder.
The first few pages were enough to make him lean back.
He let out a slow whistle.
"If these records are authentic..."
He closed the folder carefully.
"...this isn't just fraud."
"This is federal."
"Wire fraud."
"Money laundering."
"Conspiracy."
"Possibly racketeering."
He looked at her again.
"Your family could spend decades in federal prison."
She never blinked.
"Then prove it."
Her words landed with quiet certainty.
May you like
"They built their lives on stolen money."
"I'm simply setting the truth on fire."
