Chapter 9 - A Public Enemy.
By sunrise, Claire's face appeared on every financial news channel in the city.
The most damaging image showed her standing at the dinner table, stained with food and shouting into her phone.
The video had been edited to remove Adrian's insult and Daniel's report of the missing funds.
It made Claire look unstable and vindictive.
Commentators repeated Adrian's claim that she had frozen innocent relatives' accounts during a personal dispute.
The humiliation had become evidence for millions of strangers.
Owen wanted to release the full recording immediately.
Rebecca warned that Adrian controlled the original media files and would call any competing version fabricated.
Naomi said they needed proof that could survive hostile review.
The safe-deposit box offered that chance.
Claire could not approach Blackwood Tower without being recognized.
Rebecca cut Claire's long hair to her shoulders and replaced the blue dress with a print shop uniform.
The change was practical, but watching the stained fabric disappear into a bag felt like burying the woman who entered dinner.
Naomi contacted Daniel through a secure channel.
He remained inside Ashford Bank but had been ordered to assist the board's investigation against Claire.
Daniel said Adrian had scheduled the removal vote for noon and planned to install Evelyn as interim chair.
Once appointed, she could revive the dormant ownership trust before anyone challenged the transfers.
Claire had less than five hours.
Daniel provided maintenance credentials for Blackwood Tower's underground records level.
Claire and Owen entered through a delivery tunnel while Rebecca coordinated from the print shop.
Naomi remained outside to copy evidence to independent regulators if they failed to return.
The safe-deposit chamber contained hundreds of identical black doors.
The glass token illuminated one lock when Claire held it nearby.
The marked box bore her initials exactly as expected.
Inside they found bearer certificates, transfer ledgers, and a passport in Claire's name bearing someone else's photograph.
Adrian had prepared a complete story in which Claire stole the Meridian reserve and planned to leave the country.
Owen photographed everything before touching it.
At the bottom of the box lay a small audio player.
Adrian's voice began when Claire pressed the button.
He congratulated her for reaching the final piece of evidence.
He said the box was being monitored and authorities were already on their way.
The chamber door locked behind them.
Owen searched for another exit.
Claire studied the bearer certificates and noticed that one document carried wet blue ink.
Adrian had signed it that morning.
The certificate transferred the Meridian Account to Evelyn upon Claire's arrest.
The scheme required Claire to be discovered inside the box.
Sirens approached through the service tunnel.
Owen found an air vent too narrow for either of them.
Claire removed the grill and pushed the certificates inside moments before security entered.
She kept the wet document in her sleeve.
The guards ordered them onto the floor.
Adrian walked in behind them, perfectly dressed for the board meeting.
He looked at the nearly empty box and then at Claire.
His smile faltered.
“Where is the original certificate?” he asked.
Claire realized he had just admitted that one existed.
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Owen's phone, hidden in the vent, was still recording.
THE BLACKWOOD ACCOUNTS
