Chapter 14 - SABRINA RUNS
Sabrina Monroe left her attorney’s office at 11:46 p.m.
Security cameras showed her entering a black sedan.
The sedan drove toward Queens.
Toward the airport.
Charlotte stood beside investigators as they tracked public and corporate records.
“She’s leaving the country.”
Jonathan shook his head.
“We don’t know that.”
Marcus looked at the airline database provided through investigators.
“She purchased a ticket to Lisbon.”
Departure.
3:40 a.m.
Charlotte looked at the clock.
2:38.
Ryan stood nearby.
He had been brought to headquarters after reporting his laptop stolen.
His face was hollow.
“She told me Lisbon was her favorite city.”
Charlotte glanced at him.
“That seems deeply useful now.”
He flinched.
“I deserve that.”
“No.”
Charlotte looked back at the screen.
“You deserve much more than sarcasm.”
Security alerts reached the airport through proper law-enforcement channels.
Meanwhile, Marcus worked to revoke Ryan’s corporate credentials.
The San Francisco transaction continued processing.
Seven minutes.
Five.
Three.
Then the authorization disappeared.
“Stopped.”
Marcus exhaled.
The room released one collective breath.
Charlotte closed her eyes.
Three hotels were safe.
For now.
At 3:11 a.m., Sabrina called Charlotte.
Unknown number.
Charlotte answered.
“Where are you?”
Sabrina laughed softly.
“Interesting greeting.”
“Are you at the airport?”
“Maybe.”
“Victor abandoned you.”
Silence.
“Richard will blame you.”
More silence.
“Ryan already knows you used him.”
Sabrina’s voice hardened.
“What do you want?”
“My company back.”
“You have your company.”
“I want the truth.”
Sabrina laughed.
“You don’t want truth.”
“You want revenge.”
Charlotte looked around the boardroom.
At exhausted lawyers.
Auditors.
Employees protecting a company thousands depended on.
“No.”
“I wanted revenge last night.”
“What changed?”
“I realized destroying you would be easy.”
Sabrina said nothing.
“Understanding what happened matters more.”
The silence stretched.
Then Sabrina whispered.
“Victor has the archive.”
“Where?”
“He said it was insurance.”
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I stopped knowing anything the moment Richard panicked.”
Charlotte’s voice lowered.
“Then help yourself.”
“How?”
“Come back.”
“And get arrested?”
“I cannot promise what investigators will do.”
“So why would I come back?”
Charlotte thought of the ten-dollar bill.
“Because everybody you trusted already decided you were disposable.”
Sabrina stopped speaking.
Charlotte continued.
“The question is whether you keep protecting them after they abandoned you.”
The call ended.
Ryan looked toward Charlotte.
“Do you think she’ll come back?”
Charlotte put down the phone.
“I don’t know.”
Twenty-eight minutes later, an investigator entered.
“Sabrina Monroe surrendered at the airport.”
Charlotte exhaled.
Then he added.
“She had Ryan’s laptop.”
“And?”
“A flash drive.”
Charlotte straightened.
“What’s on it?”
The investigator looked grim.
“According to her…”
May you like
He paused.
“…evidence that Victor has been stealing from Bennett Global for twelve years.”
