CHAPTER 1: The Lockout
The moment Natalie stepped into her car, her hands finally started to shake.
Not from fear.
From adrenaline.
Her phone buzzed nonstop—board members, executives, even journalists. Word was spreading fast: Whitmore Coastal Development had just undergone an internal power shift.
She ignored them all.
Except one message.
Evelyn: “It’s done. But you need to come in tomorrow. There’s something you should see.”
Natalie frowned.
Something in Evelyn’s tone felt… off.
Back at her penthouse, Natalie opened her laptop and logged into the system.
That’s when she saw it.
A pending transaction.
$2.4 million—flagged but not completed.
Initiated just two hours ago.
From a restricted account.
Her father’s account.
“Not yet locked out?” she whispered.
May you like
Or worse…
Was someone helping him?
