Chapter 37
[Chapter 37: The Ghost Flight]
Patricia didn't try to stop Ethan. In fact, she facilitated his departure.
“A private Gulfstream is waiting for you at Zurich Airport, Ethan,” she said, closing her book. “Melissa stays here with me as insurance. You take the ledger. You go to the hangar. You secure my grandson. But remember one thing—if you try to call the police, Richard will see them coming from miles away. He owns the airfield security.”
Ethan looked at Melissa, who nodded bravely despite her weakness. “Go, Ethan. Save them.”
Two hours later, Ethan was in the air again, flying west against the rotation of the earth, chasing the sun. The private jet was silent, the leather-bound ledger sitting on the table in front of him.
He didn't sleep. He spent the entire flight analyzing the ledger. Using his construction management training—his ability to read complex blueprints and financial spreadsheets—he began to notice anomalies in the numbers.
The wire transfers weren't just going to Argentina or Switzerland. There was a third account, a hidden column disguised as 'material depreciation.'
The destination for that account was a domestic bank in Cedar Rapids. And the account holder wasn't Richard or Patricia.
It was Lauren.
Ethan’s breath caught in his throat. He stared at the signature. It was clean, elegant, and perfectly formed.
May you like
Lauren had been receiving monthly payments from Richard’s offshore accounts for three years—long before the night Noah got sick, long before Ethan had ever gone to Denver.
The room didn't turn to ice this time. It shattered completely.
