Chapter 5 - The Trap is Sprung
The news sent shockwaves through Cross Enterprises. By nightfall, media vans were parked outside the private garage of Cross Tower, their bright floodlights illuminating the heavy downpour.
Inside the study, Julian sat behind his desk, surrounded by his elite legal team and Marcus. Documents were scattered across the floor, and the atmosphere was suffocatingly tense.
"The leak came from an encrypted file uploaded to an offshore server at 2:15 PM today, Mr. Cross," Marcus explained, projecting a server log onto the wall screen. "The upload was executed from the private terminal inside this very room."
Julian sat motionless, his fingers laced together beneath his chin. "Who had access to this room at 2:15 PM?"
Marcus hesitated, eyeing Julian cautiously. "Only two people, sir. You... and Miss Mercer. She was logged into the security registry as cleaning the private study between 2:00 PM and 2:30 PM."
The room fell into an icy, suffocating silence.
Julian’s eyes narrowed into slits of deadly obsidian. "Abigail?"
"We ran a background check on her again, sir," one of the senior attorneys added, sliding a thick blue folder across the desk. "Her brother’s tuition bill for Columbia—sixty thousand dollars—was settled in full at precisely 3:00 PM today. Paid via an untraceable wire transfer from a Swiss bank account."
Julian stared at the blue folder. The evidence was damning, airtight, and perfect.
Just then, Abby stepped into the study holding a tray with fresh coffee. Seeing the solemn faces and the projection on the wall, she stopped in her tracks.
"Mr. Cross?" she asked softly. "Is everything alright?"
Julian stood up slowly. The warmth and subtle tenderness he had shown her over the past few weeks vanished completely, replaced by a terrifying, frozen fury. He walked toward her, each step sounding like a hammer hitting an anvil.
"Where did you get sixty thousand dollars today, Abigail?" Julian asked, his voice deathly quiet.
Abby blinked, confused. "What? I... I don't know what you're talking about."
Julian snatched the blue folder and threw it onto the tray, knocking over a coffee cup. Dark liquid pooled onto the crisp white paper, staining the transaction record for Ethan’s tuition.
"Your brother's school was paid today," Julian snarled, towering over her. "The exact moment confidential documents were stolen from my terminal and sold to Carter Vance. Was this your plan all along? Did you play the innocent, dutiful daughter just to get close enough to strike?"
Tears instantly flooded Abby’s eyes. "No! Mr. Cross, I swear to God I didn't touch your computer! I don't even know how to bypass your security!"
"The key to the safe was sitting right here!" Julian roared, slamming his palm onto the desk. "I gave you the key! I gave you my trust!"
"And I never took it!" Abby sobbed, her voice trembling with heartbreak and outrage. "I haven't taken a single penny that wasn't earned! Check the cameras! Search my bags! Search my apartment! I didn't do this!"
"The cameras in this room were looped for twenty minutes starting at 2:05 PM," Marcus interjected coldly.
Abby backed away, shaking her head as tears streamed down her cheeks. She looked at Julian, seeing the cold, unfeeling billionaire who believed the worst in humanity. The brief connection they had shared was crushed under the heel of suspicion.
"You really believe I did this," Abby said, her voice dropping into a hollow whisper. "After everything... you still think everyone can be bought."
Julian stared at her, his throat tight, his heart tearing against his own hardened cynicism. He wanted to scream at her, but the look of pure, utter betrayal in her eyes made him pause.
"Hand over your keycard, Miss Mercer," Julian said softly, refusing to meet her gaze. "You are suspended pending a formal federal investigation. If you attempt to leave the city, Marcus will have you arrested instantly."
Abby pulled the gold keycard from her pocket, along with her mother's feather duster. She placed the keycard on the table, but gripped Pearl tight.
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"I didn't sell you out, Mr. Cross," she said, wiping her tears with dignity. "And I feel sorry for you. Because even with all your billions, you are the poorest man I've ever met."
She turned and walked out of the penthouse, leaving Julian standing alone in the vast, empty room.
