Chapter 7 - The Midnight Auditor
7
Back at Rosewood Manor, the digital war room was quiet once again. Marcus Vance sat leaning back in his chair, watching the telemetry data stream across the primary monitor.
"The Gulfstream just crossed the 50th parallel, heading out over the North Atlantic," Marcus reported, a broad grin spreading across his face. "Interpol’s European cyber-unit intercepted our beacon signal three minutes ago. Swiss air traffic control has already revoked their landing rights at Zurich. They're being redirected to a military air base in Frankfurt under armed escort."
Alex stood by the window, holding a crystal glass of bourbon. He hadn't touched the alcohol; he was simply watching the rain streak down the dark glass.
"Good," Alex said quietly.
The door to the library opened softly. Lucia Herrera stood in the doorway, holding a small plate with a warm cup of chamomile tea and a single shortbread cookie. She looked hesitant, her eyes glancing nervously around the high-tech equipment before meeting Alex's gaze.
"Mr. Ward?" she whispered.
Alex turned away from the window, walking over to her. "Lucia. Come in. You don't need to knock."
She stepped inside, placing the small plate on the edge of the mahogany table. "I... I brought you some tea. You've been in here all day without eating."
Alex looked down at the tea, then up at Lucia. He noticed the slight tremor in her hands, the lingering shadow of fear in her eyes. She was still waiting for the other shoe to drop—still expecting that once the billionaires finished their war, the housekeeper and her three-year-old daughter would be discarded like trash.
"Thank you, Lucia," Alex said, taking a sip of the warm tea. "Where is Sofi?"
"She's sleeping in our quarters," Lucia replied softly. "She was so tired from the excitement. She asked me if the bad wedding was over yet."
Alex let out a quiet sigh, setting the cup down. He walked over to his executive desk, opened the top drawer, and pulled out a thick, legal-sized document enclosed in a leather folder. He picked it up and walked back over to Lucia, holding it out toward her.
Lucia looked at the folder, bewildered. She didn't reach out to take it. "What is this, sir?"
"Open it," Alex said gently.
With trembling fingers, Lucia lifted the leather cover. Inside was a standard New York real estate deed, accompanied by an employment contract and an educational trust fund agreement.
She read the first page, her eyes widening in sheer disbelief.
The document transferred ownership of a fully paid-for, three-bedroom townhouse in Queens—not a rental, but outright freehold title—directly to Lucia Herrera. Simultaneously, the employment contract elevated her to the position of Estate Director of Rosewood Manor with a fivefold increase in salary, full medical coverage for life, and a guaranteed educational endowment covering every single expense of Sofi’s schooling all the way through university.
Lucia dropped the folder onto the table as if it were burning her skin. She stepped back, shaking her head violently, tears spilling over her eyelashes.
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"No... no, Mr. Ward, I can't take this," she choked out, her voice breaking. "I... I didn't do anything! I just raised my daughter! I didn't help you catch them, I didn't stop the fraud—"
"You raised a child who had the courage to speak the truth when three hundred adults chose to stay silent," Alex interrupted, his voice steady, warm, and absolute. "That is worth more than all the money Julian and Genevieve tried to steal from me."
