Chapter 4 - The Price of Silence
Clara didn't panic. Instead, she stepped forward, blocking Tiffanyâs view of the open safe where Julian was quietly pocketing the brass key.
"Go ahead, call them, Tiffany," Clara said, her voice dropping to a dangerously calm whisper. "But before you do, maybe you should ask your mother why she spent three hundred thousand dollars from the company's charity fund last week on a private offshore account in the Caymans. I have the digital audit trail right here on my phone."
Tiffany paused, her thumb hovering over the screen. The smug look faded from her face, replaced by a sudden flash of fear. Beatrice had been embezzling money to fund Tiffany's lavish lifestyle, and exposure would ruin them both.
"You're bluffing," Tiffany hissed, though her voice shook.
"Try me," Clara countered, stepping closer. "Delete the call, let us walk out of here, and I might just delay sending this file to the federal prosecutors. You have five seconds."
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Sweat beaded on Tiffanyâs forehead. With a frustrated curse, she lowered her phone. "Get out. Both of you. But know this, Claraâmy mother will find out what you're looking for, and she will stop at nothing to bury it."
Clara and Julian rushed past her into the rainy night, the brass key heavy in Clara's pocket. They had won the battle, but the war had just officially begun.
