I stood there as Arthur slid the divorce papers across the marble table, the scent of another woman’s perfume clinging to his collar like a badge of honor. “Sign it, Jet. Don’t make things uglier. ”
On the surface, I was Jet Whitfield, the trophy wife who married into high society.
In reality, I was Phantom, the top predator who struck fear into the dark web. Three years ago, I personally saved the Vanderbilts from bankruptcy. Now, Arthur wanted to discard me with a five-million-dollar severance. “Five million?
” I laughed coldly. “The money I threw into this family to save it back then is more than that. You were at the Tall Street dollar last night. Your hand was on Serena’s lower back the whole time.
”
“Serena moves in next week. The family needs an heir with decent blood, not some random woman from the suburbs. ”
Arthur thought I would cry, make a scene, and beg. But a true predator never shows its fangs in front of its prey.
“I won’t sign it. ”
“What did you say? ”
“I agree to the divorce. But I’m taking my 4% stake in the Vanderbilt group.
”
Arthur laughed like a victor. “Your shares? Are you insane? When you married into this family, all you had was a rented car and a closet full of off-the-rack suits.
You have nothing. ”
I watched him mock me, unaware that he was yelling at the woman who held his family’s lifeline in her hands. “Look at the shareholding signature at the bottom. ”
“What is this?
Dark Webb Venture Capital? ”
“Dark Webb Venture Capital. That name is the lingering ghost in the Vanderbilt boardroom. Three years ago, it was that mysterious offshore fund that injected the massive bailout and saved your empire from collapse.
And its owner is now standing right in front of you. ”
Arthur’s face went pale. “You forged the documents. You’re blackmailing my family.
”
“Three years ago, the crisis caused by your grandfather’s short-selling nearly bankrupted the entire group. Did you really think that money fell from the sky? ”
“I’ll have the legal team freeze every account under your name. You won’t get a single cent.
”
“Get ready to face lawsuits and a billion-dollar payment, Arthur. This is not the end. This is a declaration of war. ”
I walked out, leaving him drowning in his own rage.
He thought he could get rid of me with five million dollars. He forgot that an apex predator never walks willingly into a trap. I only turn traps into hunting grounds. I had planted a back door in Arthur’s phone three years ago.
And Serena’s smart home system was just a toy I cracked for fun. That night, I listened in as Serena called someone. “Wake up, Chloe. I have explosive news about the Vanderbilt group.
”
The voice on the other end sounded familiar. Chloe. Could the person on the call be my sister, Khloe Sterling, the apple of my family’s eye? The signal showed she was at Sterling Estate.
The hedge fund manager on Tall Street who loved profiting from the misery of others really was my adorable sister. “Jet Whitfield is being investigated by the family. Her funds are dirty. This is large-scale international money laundering,” Serena said smoothly, fabricating the story on the spot.
Khloe’s voice trembled with greedy excitement. “This is perfect. It will crash their stock tomorrow. I’ll short them at the open.
”
Serena hoped to use financial attacks to make my shares seem illegally obtained and prevent me from smoothly taking the equity. Her plan sounded perfect, but unfortunately, her opponent was me. I moved fast. The rumor was dumb, but it was exactly the fuel I needed for a massive short squeeze.
“Activate Plan B. ”
Lord Harrison, the Titan of Tall Street and my ally, was already in the game. When I met him in his VIP lounge, he was blunt. “Jet, I am officially exiting the Vanderbilt group.
”
“Why now? ”
“Arthur’s infidelity and his profound stupidity. That boy is truly a blind fool. My consortium’s doors are open for you.
Bring your capital. We will crush them together. ”
“I appreciate the offer, but I need to win this divorce suit with a billion-dollar payment first. I have to clean the equity.
I saw the garbage on the forums this morning. Money laundering, Eastern Europe. Serena Sinclair’s handiwork. I plan to use it to wash the shares.
”
Harrison nodded. “Get me the editors at the journal. Tell them if they print a word of that unverified gossip about Jet, I will pull all my advertising money back. ”
The mainstream media were suppressed.
Then Harrison gave me the name of the one man who could help me win: Preston Pierce of Pierce Law Firm, the apex predator of litigation, the lawyer who never lost. A private investigator was soon digging up every piece of dirt on Arthur Vanderbilt. Then they served me with a legal summons. It was time for the head of the Vanderbilt family, Arthur’s grandfather Richard, to start feeling desperate.
At the gala at the Grand Museum of Art, the elites of Manhattan whispered about the financial scandal that had leaked onto the forums that morning. Richard dragged Arthur aside, his voice shaking with fury. “You cannot even keep your pants up. If the stock drops below the support line tomorrow, I will strip you of your inheritance.
”
“It’s not my fault. Jet is insane. She’s demanding 4% of the original equity to sign the papers. ”
“Four percent?
That is worth billions of dollars. ”
Serena stepped in, sweet and poisonous. “If I become Arthur’s wife, the future matriarch of this family, Sinclair Medical Group will grant you exclusive merger rights. But if you do not handle Jet and her demands immediately, I am walking away from this mess.
”
“Grandfather, please. I have proof she’s involved in financial fraud. The media is already reporting it extensively. ”
Arthur didn’t know that Harrison had already suppressed those mainstream outlets.
All that awaited him tomorrow was nothing but a joke. Richard, desperate to save the failing health division through a merger with Sinclair, decided to handle the divorce personally. He had the legal team draft a maximum-penalty NDA and buyout agreement, using a trust loophole. “Offer her 500 million.
Not a penny more. ”
When I met Richard’s personal assistant, who happened to be my informant, I already knew everything. Richard’s failing health division. The 500 million offer.
All on my phone. Richard confronted me directly. “Mrs. Whitfield, the Vanderbilt family takes care of its own.
Sign the NDA. The buyout. You walk out today with $500 million. ”
“Five hundred million.
That was my initial capital inception three years ago. You are trying to use the Cayman Trust loophole to swallow the entire profit. ”
“Do not push your luck, girl. Think of the money-laundering rumors this morning.
You are one phone call away from a federal investigation. ”
“Oh, really? That is a certified independent asset evaluation. Based on current Wall Street market caps, my 4% equity is worth exactly $1.
5 billion. ”
“This is extortion. ”
“If this goes to open litigation, the discovery phase alone will crash your stock by 30%. Your shareholders will eat you alive.
”
“It was me who accepted you when you had nothing. I gave you a home. ”
“Your version of care for me is watching your grandson parade his mistress around Wall Street. Me?
I’ve been working my ass off fixing your financial mess. ”
The lawyers threatened to bleed my cash flow dry. I smiled. “My legal fund could buy your entire firm and turn it into a parking lot.
”
“550 million. Final offer. ”
“Listen carefully. 1.
5 billion, not a penny less. ”
“You cannot do this. ”
“If the funds are not in my account by sunset tomorrow, my lawyers will file the suit in federal court. ”
Richard’s body began to fail him.
He collapsed, calling for PR first, then an ambulance. I watched it all. They thought I was negotiating. I was hunting.
I needed to go to the estate one last time to retrieve my mother’s letters. Those letters could not stay in their hands. Meanwhile, Arthur received a text message authorizing him to handle my affairs. Full power of attorney.
Grandfather finally trusted him. He also learned Richard had been sent to the hospital after I left. When Arthur confronted me outside the estate, he was seething. “What the hell did you say to my grandfather?
”
“I told him the price of his freedom. Something a puppet like you would not understand. You are not even allowed in the boardroom. ”
“You —”
“Try touching me.
The dash cam is live-streaming to a secure cloud server. If you touch me, you will be in a holding cell before dinner. ”
Arthur pulled himself together and tried a different tactic. “$500 million out-of-court settlement.
Grandfather authorized me to end this. It is his final act of mercy. Take it and disappear. ”
“500 million is not mercy.
This is Richard trying to stop the bleeding before the quarterly earnings report exposes his incompetence. ”
“What are you talking about? You are insane. That is $500 million.
”
I tore up the check and threw the pieces in his face. “Keep your mercy. Get lost. ”
“You just destroyed a $500 million check.
You people are sick, greedy, arrogant, pathetic. You are going to lose everything. ”
“Richard’s heart is failing, Arthur. ”
“What?
”
“He is wheezing like a dying dog. He will not survive the stress of a federal trial. He will not even make it to the next earnings call. ”
Arthur lunged at me, screaming to his lawyers.
“She is insane. She tore up the check. She is going to federal court. ”
Federal court meant discovery.
And I actually had the evidence. They needed the most ruthless lawyer in Manhattan. I made my own call. Miles away, in a dimly lit private dining room, Arthur whined to Serena.
“She threw the pieces of the check in my face. 500 million. She didn’t even blink. ”
“Arthur, I hired a private investigator this morning.
That trip Jet took to Eastern Europe before the wedding? She wasn’t backpacking. She was with a Russian oligarch. She was his mistress.
That 500 million she brought to the marriage was dirty money. She was using Vanderbilt accounts to wash it for the mafia. ”
Arthur’s eyes widened. “She almost dragged my family into a federal racketeering case.
”
“The Sinclair family will stand by you. We will crush her. ”
Arthur felt his chance to prove himself. “Then we need the best.
We need Preston Pierce. ”
“He is too expensive and he does not take domestic cases. ”
“My father often plays golf with the senior partners at his firm. We will have him on retainer by tomorrow morning.
Jet will be begging on her knees. ”
While Arthur and Serena planned, I was parked on the dark coastal highway, chatting with a man I believed was Simon, the senior partner at Pierce Law Firm. Preston had given me his business card, but there was something odd about the conversation. “You have the wrong man, little girl.
”
“Wrong person? Lord Harrison told me you never turn down a massive slaughter. ”
“Good. That narrows it down.
Harrison only backs apex predators. Pitch it in one sentence. Prove your case is worth my time. ”
“$1.
5 billion hidden equity against the entire Vanderbilt family. Your offshore capital is heavily exposed. The opposition will frame it as international money laundering to trigger a federal freeze. ”
He perfectly predicted Serena’s strategy without a single minute of contact with her.
We spent ten minutes exchanging legal precedents, financial loopholes, and countersuit strategies. This man was a real predator. “Bring your original documents to my firm tomorrow at 10:00 a. m.
in person. Walk through the main lobby. Ask the receptionist for Simon. ”
He was testing me.
Fine. I would play along. The next morning, while I waited in the Pierce Law Firm lobby, Serena and Arthur walked in, dripping with arrogance. “Well, well.
So Pierce Law Firm does pro-bono work for criminals now. Are you lost, Jet? The lawyers here charge $1,000 a minute. You cannot even afford the air in this lobby.
”
Then Serena turned to the receptionist. “I am Serena Sinclair. My father spoke with the managing partner this morning. We are here to put Preston Pierce on retainer.
Tell him we are waiting. ”
A young man approached. “Sorry, Mrs. Sinclair.
Mr. Pierce does not accept walk-in appointments. ”
“Do you know who my father is? ”
The man ignored her and turned to me.
“You must be the guest Mr. Pierce is expecting at 10:00. It is an absolute honor to meet you. Right this way, ma’am.
”
Serena was livid. “Are you out of your mind? Do you know who she is? She is a fraud.
She is being investigated for money laundering. If you take her case, the Vanderbilt family will pull every contract we have with this firm. ”
The young man stood firm. “The Pierce Law Firm does not submit to threats from failing conglomerates.
Mr. Vanderbilt, keep your dog on a leash, Serena, because when we get to court, I am going to give both of you a very hard time. ”
As I followed him to the private elevator, I realized the man who had been sparring with me last night had the aura of a formidable leader. This man seemed like an assistant.
Something was off. Then the lobby exploded. A woman rushed in, screaming. “You ruined my life!
You stole my pension! Your fake funds took everything from my family! She washes dirty money. She is a criminal!
”
I watched the pathetic act unfold, then turned to her calmly. “What is the name of the fund? You said I stole your pension. Name the specific fund and the holding company.
Give me the routing number of the account you deposited your money into. Is the Sinclair family running out of cash? Are you now so broke you can’t even afford an actor registered with the Screen Actors Guild? ”
The woman stammered.
“I—I have no idea what you are talking about. ”
“You shut up, Arthur. You cannot even memorize the script. ”
The scene was chaos, and somehow, Preston Pierce himself ordered a permanent ban on Arthur and Serena from the building, citing a severe conflict of interest.
The heavy oak door at the end of the private hallway awaited me. I knew the person who brought me up here was not the real Simon. As the door opened, I recognized the sharp jawline instantly. The dark eyes of a predator.
Preston Pierce. “You have the wrong man, little girl. ”
It was the exact phrase he had typed to me on the dark web last night. “It’s you.
You’ve been pretending to be Simon. ”
“A disguise is the most efficient way to test a potential client. I needed to see if you were actually worth my time. ”
“And my performance in your lobby?
Did my method of taking out the trash pass your little interview? ”
“Your technique handling trash was flawless. It pleased me. Please sit.
”
I laid out all the evidence of the $1. 5 billion equity claim. He assessed the situation perfectly. “You are not just fighting a divorce.
The Vanderbilt family will launch a massive public relations battle. They will try to frame your equity as dirty money and file federal injunctions to freeze your assets before sunset today. ”
“Your sharp eyes are exactly why I’m sitting here. I need a lawyer who doesn’t care about ethics at all.
”
“You misunderstand me, Mrs. Whitfield. I have principles, and one of them is to ensure my client’s absolute victory. ”
“Absolute victory.
Not justice, not truth, but just victory. You are indeed the person I am looking for. Thirty percent contingency fee. Deal.
”
He looked at me with a knowing glint. “I recognize the ghost routing protocols on your offshore accounts. Only top-tier dark web syndicates use that specific algorithm to mask half a billion dollars. You left a shadow, Miss Whitfield, and I am the only lawyer in New York who can keep the FBI from tracing it.
”
I knew then that he was the only monster big enough to fight the monsters coming for me. Before sunset, the Vanderbilt legal team tried to file a federal injunction. Preston was calm. “Don’t worry.
They won’t even manage to file the documents successfully. ”
Arthur was furious. “That arrogant bastard. He actually kicked us out of the lobby in front of half of Wall Street.
He treated the Vanderbilt name like dirt for that cheap woman. ”
Serena, ever the schemer, suggested, “Preston Pierce is a mercenary businessman. He only took her case because she promised him a cut of the equity. We have more liquid cash than she does.
Call your CFO. We will offer Pierce double whatever she’s paying. Buy him out from under her. ”
Arthur agreed.
“Money solves everything. Prepare a massive unrestricted PR and legal budget. I need 50 million in liquid funds. Get ready to transfer within an hour.
”
They believed money could buy everything, including Preston. I returned to Pierce Law Firm with the original of my prenuptial agreement. “Net worth forfeiture clause. Arthur’s lawyers think they are very smart.
The definition of marital joint investment in this document is so ambiguous that it’s enough to cause a legal disaster. Three years ago, when I signed it, I needed a legitimate high-profile identity to cover my traces in certain international circles. So I intentionally buried the control transfer path of my offshore trust in the secondary appendix. Arthur’s lawyers were too arrogant to read past page 50.
They handed me the ultimate kill switch. ”
Preston gave me an appreciative look. “So, you planted this landmine three years ago. ”
“That’s right.
Before this war even started, I planted a landmine in Vanderbilt’s backyard. ”
“This prenuptial agreement is legally worthless. ”
“I don’t just want it nullified. I want Arthur to pay triple punitive damages for the marital assets he has been secretly transferring out of our joint accounts.
The funds routed through three banks, but the final destination is shell companies registered under Serena Sinclair’s name. ”
“It turns out Arthur started siphoning your joint funds half a year ago to support his mistress. This is a direct violation of fiduciary duty. This physical evidence is enough to petition a federal judge to freeze every single private account Arthur Vanderbilt owns.
”
“I want his accounts frozen tonight. I want to make sure that tomorrow morning he can’t even use his credit card to buy a coffee. ”
Then Preston handed me something else. “My private intelligence network bypassed three layers of federal encryption to get this an hour ago.
It details the scandalous hospital baby swap incident 20 years ago. The fake daughter the Sterlings raised and the toxic environment she is being dragged back into. The internal rot within your biological family is a massive liability. Arthur will absolutely use the Sterlings to attack your credibility.
”
“If the Sterling family decides to get in my way, then I will burn them to ashes along with the Vanderbilt family. ”
“What an aggressive black swan. ”
It was time to deal with my fake blood relatives. At the Sterling estate, my grandfather, Edward, greeted me with barely concealed contempt.
“Look at what you have done. Your pathetic divorce scandal has turned this family into a laughing stock on Wall Street. The board is demanding explanations. ”
“The stock is crashing because the market has finally noticed the massive accounting fraud in your quarterly earnings report.
Do not try to blame your incompetence on my marriage. ”
“You ungrateful little — We pulled you out of the slums. We gave you the Sterling name, and this is how you repay us? ”
“Lower your finger or I will walk over there and break it off your hand.
”
My father tried to mediate. “Father, please let us just give Jet a chance to explain. ”
“There is nothing to explain. Jet, you call your lawyer right now and withdraw your divorce proposal and go to the Vanderbilt estate and apologize to Arthur on your knees if you have to.
”
“I’m not here to ask for your permission. I am here to inform you that the Vanderbilt Alliance is dead. ”
Edward’s eyes narrowed. “Then explain the money.
Explain the $500 million that suddenly appeared in your personal account. I have contacts at the Federal Reserve. They flagged a massive abnormal capital injection into your name. You are committing insider trading.
You will drag us all down with you. If you want to prove you are not a criminal, you will immediately transfer control of those funds to the Sterling Family Trust. We will manage it until your name is cleared. ”
I laughed.
“That money is a completely legal dividend payout from an offshore venture capital trust. Every single cent has been audited by an independent Swiss firm. ”
“Empty words mean nothing. Give me the exact name of the offshore firm.
”
“No. That information is protected by a strict NDA. You get nothing. ”
My father pleaded with me to just transfer the money into the family’s joint account, to protect myself, to make the tension go away.
The cowardice radiating from him flooded me with profound disgust. “When the hospital told you they lost your daughter 20 years ago, did you compromise this easily? Did you just roll over and do what you were told? ”
Edward grew desperate.
“If you refuse to hand over the funds, I will personally freeze your entire share of the Sterling family trust. You won’t get a single cent of inheritance until you learn to obey. ”
I smiled. “I submitted that to the state registrar yesterday.
It is a notarized irrevocable declaration. I have voluntarily renounced my status as a beneficiary of the Sterling family trust. ”
“You are insane! ”
“Your money is filthy.
I do not want a single cent of it. And do not try to touch my capital again, or you will have fatal consequences. ”
When Edward threatened to report me for financial fraud, I reciprocated. “Go ahead.
But remember, when the SEC launches a full forensic audit into my accounts, their algorithms will inevitably cross-reference your data, and they will find the three shell companies you used to wash the kickbacks from the Miami Real Estate Project. ”
His face went white. “How do you know about those companies? ”
“Because Preston Pierce ran background checks on all of you before I even got here.
”
Edward switched to pleading. “Jet, this is not just about you or Arthur. This is about the survival of a century-old legacy. The Sterling Group is about to sign a contract for a $10 billion commercial real estate project in Manhattan cooperating with the Vanderbilts.
If a messy divorce scandal breaks out now, the banks will panic. They will pull their syndicated loans. The entire project will collapse, and thousands of people will lose their jobs. I am just asking you to endure the marriage for one more year, just until the project wraps up.
For the greater good of the family. ”
The hypocrisy made me physically sick. “You want me to endure a man who brings his mistress into my home just so you can secure a bank loan? You are a pathetic, incompetent leader, Edward.
You want me to sell my sanity to keep your sinking ship afloat? ”
“You selfish, arrogant child. You have absolutely no loyalty. ”
“I am not fighting the family.
I am cleaning the house. ”
Then Chloe stepped forward, tears streaming. “Jet, please do not destroy our family just because you are angry. If you feel like you do not have enough money, I will share my trust fund allowance with you.
Just do not hurt Grandpa. ”
I saw her for what she was. The fake daughter who took my place for 20 years. A Wall Street hedge fund manager.
One of the executors of Serena’s previous financial attack plan. “You do not care about the family, Chloe. You are just terrified that if the stock crashes, your trust fund will shrink and you will not be able to buy your limited-edition bags next season. ”
Edward’s threats grew harsher.
“If you file those divorce papers, the Sterling family will throw its entire legal weight behind Arthur. We will testify against you in court. We will tell the judge you are mentally unstable. We will leak to the media that your degree is forged.
We will make sure you are blacklisted by every company in Manhattan. ”
“Are you done? Every single word you just said, including your explicit threat to commit perjury and forge evidence in a federal court, has just been synced to three secure offshore servers. ”
“You recorded me?
”
“If a single Sterling lawyer shows up at my divorce hearing, this audio file will be on the front page of the newspaper within five minutes. ”
“Jet, how can you do this to your own family? ”
“The moment you chose to protect my abuser, to save your bank loans, you ceased to be my family. ”
I left the estate and headed to Vanderbilt headquarters to retrieve my personal property.
Emily, a loyal employee, warned me that the legal department had locked down my access. They were trying to erase me from the system. Security guards confronted me, officials who had already turned against me. “Get your filthy hands off my property.
”
“Board’s orders, Miss Whitfield. We have to ensure you do not walk out with any classified secrets. ”
I called NYPD non-emergency dispatch and reported a crime in progress. Three unidentified men conducting an illegal search of my private medical records and personal mail.
I grabbed the drive containing the core quantitative trading algorithm I had built three years ago, the brain of Vanderbilt’s entire high-frequency trading desk. “Put that down. That algorithm is the IP of the Vanderbilt group. You have no right to take it.
”
“Read the signature, you incompetent fool. That is an IP retention agreement signed three years ago. The algorithm is owned entirely by my offshore company. The Vanderbilt Group only holds a temporary license.
As of this exact second, I am officially revoking your license. If your servers run my code for one more millisecond, I will sue this company into bankruptcy for IP theft. ”
The employees parted like the Red Sea as I walked away with the lifeblood of their company. Then Arthur’s uncle, Marcus Beaumont, senior VP of the group, stepped out of the elevator with four massive bodyguards.
He looked at me with contempt. “Get the bag. You are nothing but trash dumped by Arthur. One that we are throwing out.
I can easily guess how you really built that quantitative model. You must have slept with half the board members of that offshore fund. ”
The muscle memory from my time in Eastern Europe kicked in. I neutralized his guards in seconds and dislocated Marcus’s shoulder before he could blink.
“Who is next? ”
Marcus screamed. “Stay away from me. If you touch me, the Vanderbilt lawyers will go after you.
You will rot in a federal prison. ”
I leaned in close. “You came into this wanting to steal my intellectual property. I know about the $3 million you embezzled from the pension fund last year.
I know its exact location. If you ever use a word like that to describe me again, I will email the ledger directly to the FBI. ”
His face went pale as I walked away, resignation formalities complete. Back at Pierce Law Firm, Preston was amused.
“Hey, girl, I leave you alone for two hours and you turn the 58th floor of the oldest firm on Wall Street into an MMA octagon. ”
“It was a necessary act of self-defense. ”
“My crisis PR team is already on it. We are buying up the worst angles of the video from the paparazzi.
However, Arthur’s legal team is going to use this. They will file an emergency restraining order against you by tonight. ”
“Let them. I only care about the money.
Is the freeze order active? ”
“The federal judge signed the temporary injunction 30 minutes ago. Arthur Vanderbilt cannot access a single cent of his liquid assets. ”
But Arthur and Serena were not done.
They planned to destroy me mentally. Arthur held a press conference, playing the heartbroken, traumatized husband. “My wife is deeply unwell. Her unprovoked, violent attack on my elderly uncle proves that she has suffered a complete mental breakdown.
My lawyers have just filed an emergency petition for a mandatory psychiatric evaluation on her. We must protect her from herself and prevent her from making dangerous financial decisions. ”
I counter-sued him for defamation. And I was prepared for his next move.
Serena had a plan. “Making witnesses tell lies is much easier than forging medical records, Arthur. Who is the one person Jet trusted at the estate? ”
“Mrs.
Hughes, the head housekeeper. She has worked for the family for 30 years. ”
“If you offer her enough money to buy a mansion in Florida and retire tomorrow, she will testify under oath that Jet has been physically abusing employees for years. And I know a corrupt psychiatrist on the Upper East Side.
He will write a backdated diagnosis backing up the housekeeper’s claims for $50,000. ”
Just as they felt confident, Arthur’s assistant rushed in, face pale. “Sir, every private bank account linked to your social security number just went dark. Your black card has been declined.
The federal court has just executed a full asset freeze. ”
Arthur’s triumphant smile froze. His money was gone. Serena needed his liquid funds to pay the housekeeper and the PR firm.
Without it, their entire plan was dead in the water. This was just the beginning. I planned to anonymously dump the ledger of Arthur’s illegal asset transfers directly onto the IRS server. But then, a new threat appeared.
My firewall was breached violently and perfectly. A message flashed on my screen: “Tick tock, Phantom. The syndicate never forgets. ”
I did not move.
I knew exactly who was on the other side of the screen. The syndicate, the most lethal dark web cartel on the planet, had finally found me. They tracked the large-scale movement of offshore funds I had prepared for the divorce battle. The elegant, calculating Wall Street socialite disappeared.
Phantom was awake. Preston called with news. “The federal judge just set the preliminary hearing for next Tuesday. Your respiration rate is elevated.
Are you in trouble? ”
“I’m fine. Just too tired after the adrenaline crash. ”
I could not drag Preston into a war with international assassins.
That was not his fight. But he knew I was lying. He was going to dig up the truth. I was alone now, hunted by the Vanderbilts, the Sterlings, and the syndicate.
But I was not afraid. The apex predator was out of the cage.
