Chapter 6: The Double Cross
Christopher kept his expression completely neutral, hiding the shock that was screaming through his mind. He quickly shoved the tiny bank receipt deep into his pocket before Julian or Thomas could notice.
Four hundred million dollars, Christopher thought, his heart racing. The forty million Julian stole is just a drop in the bucket. Someone else is playing a much bigger game.
"Well, Christopher?" Julian demanded, his voice growing impatient as the rain started to pick up again. "The clock is ticking. Hand over the ledger, or I ruin your family name before the sun comes up."
Thomas nudged Christopher's shoulder roughly. "Give it to him, Chris! Don't be a fool. Protect the company."
Christopher took a deep breath, stepping closer to the iron bars. He held out the black leather ledger through the gap in the gates. "Here. Take it. But remember your promise, Julian. Release the forty million operating capital immediately."
Julian stepped forward, a look of triumph in his eyes. He grabbed the heavy book from Christopher's hands, flipping it open quickly to verify the gold seal of the Monroe family. "Finally... the proof I need to destroy your mother in court."
He turned back toward his SUV, pulling his phone out to make a call. "Marcus, activate the reversal protocol. Send the forty million back to the Pierce primary account. We have the book."
"Wait," Christopher called out, his voice sharp. "Who did you just call? Marcus?"
Julian paused, his foot on the running board of the vehicle. He looked back over his shoulder with a cold, mocking smile. "Oh, did I forget to mention? I’m not working alone, Christopher. Your fiancé, Juliette, has a very resourceful brother. Marcus Vance. He’s the one who handled the cyber heist for me. He’s a genius when it comes to breaking into Old Money bank systems."
Thomas laughed, clapping his hands together. "Perfect! See, Chris? Everyone gets what they want. Now, let’s go back inside and tell Mother she lost the war."
"No, Thomas," Christopher said, turning to look at his brother with absolute disgust. "You didn't win anything. Julian, check the back cover of that ledger. Look at the binding."
Julian frowned, stepping back into the light of the SUV's headlights. He turned the ledger over, his fingers running along the thick leather spine. His face suddenly twisted into a look of confusion, then pure rage.
"The security chip... it's gone," Julian whispered, his voice rising in anger. "The encrypted digital key that unlocks the Monroe heritage vaults in Switzerland... it's supposed to be embedded in the back cover! Where is it, Christopher?!"
Christopher pulled his hand out of his pocket, holding up a small, gold-plated microchip between his fingers. He had found it stuck to the back of the receipt just seconds ago.
"You think you’re the only ones who can play this game?" Christopher said, his voice steady and cold. "This chip controls the real Monroe fortune. The four hundred million dollars my father hid in Switzerland. The forty million you stole from New York is just pocket change. If you want this chip, Julian, you’re going to tell me exactly where Juliette and her brother are right now."
Thomas gasped, reaching out to grab Christopher’s arm. "You idiot! You hid the real key?! Give it to him, Christopher! If you blow this deal, they’ll destroy us!"
Christopher threw a powerful punch, his fist hitting Thomas squarely in the jaw. Thomas stumbled backward, groaning as he hit the wet gravel driveway, his glass of scotch shattering on the rocks.
"Shut up, Thomas," Christopher growled, not even looking down at his brother. He turned back to Julian, who was now holding a suppressed pistol, pointing it directly through the iron gates at Christopher's chest.
"Hand over the chip, Christopher," Julian said, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "I don't need to talk to you. I can just shoot you, take the chip from your dead hands, and find my own way through these gates."
"You could," Christopher said, not flinching. "But the moment my heart rate drops below sixty beats per minute, the security system in my watch automatically transmits a deletion signal to the Swiss vault. The four hundred million will be permanently locked, deleted from the global ledger forever. Nobody gets a single penny. Not me, not you, and certainly not Marcus Vance."
Julian stared at Christopher’s watch, his finger trembling on the trigger. He knew Christopher wasn't bluffing. The Pierce family was famous for their paranoid security measures.
Suddenly, a loud scream echoed from the driveway behind Christopher. It came from the direction of the mansion.
"Daddy! Help me!"
It was Emma's voice.
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Christopher’s heart shattered. He turned around instantly. Through the heavy rain, he could see a figure running out of the side entrance of the mansion, carrying a small, struggling child in their arms.
It was Juliette. She hadn't been rescued by men in an SUV—she had been hiding inside the house the entire time, waiting for the perfect moment to grab the ultimate hostage.
