Chapter 4: The Geneva Protocol

"Trev," Hannah said, her voice dropping to a cautious, almost frightened whisper. "What is she talking about? What audio files?"

Trev slowly lowered himself onto the sofa, placing his head in his hands. He looked like a man who had just been handed a death sentence. The bravado he had shown moments ago was entirely gone, replaced by a hollow, crushing defeat.

"Trev, answer me!" Hannah demanded, stepping closer. "If I am trapped in this room because of something you did, I deserve to know what it is."

From the speakers, Eleanor’s voice hummed with dark amusement. "Yes, Trev. Tell the girl. She seems to think you're a victim of an unhappy marriage. Let her see the monster behind the tailored suits."

"Shut up, Eleanor!" Trev snapped, his head snapping up. His eyes were red-rimmed and fierce. He looked at Hannah, his expression pleading. "Hannah, you have to understand... the business was failing. When my father died, he left behind a mountain of hidden debt. The Klair Group was weeks away from bankruptcy."

"So you cheated?" Hannah asked, her brow furrowed. "You committed fraud?"

"It was worse than fraud," Eleanor interjected smoothly. "Fraud is a white-collar crime, darling. What Trev did borders on treason."

Hannah gasped, taking a step back. "Treason?"

"Three years ago in Geneva," Trev began, his voice barely above a whisper, "I attended a closed-door summit with several international tech firms. We were bidding for a massive government contract. A defense contract."

Hannah’s hands flew to her mouth. "Oh my god."

"I knew we couldn't win legitimately. Our tech was outdated. So... I made a deal." Trev swallowed hard, looking away from Hannah's horrified gaze. "I met with a representative from a foreign competitor. A company blacklisted by our government."

"He sold them our proprietary data," Eleanor finished the story for him, her voice dripping with venomous satisfaction. "He traded corporate secrets—American corporate secrets—in exchange for an offshore slush fund. A fund he used to secretly inject capital back into the Klair Group to keep it afloat."

Hannah felt the room spinning. The man she loved, the man she thought was merely trapped in a loveless marriage, was a criminal. A traitor.

"And you knew?" Hannah yelled at the television. "You knew about this, Eleanor, and you did nothing?"

"I only found out recently, my dear," Eleanor replied smoothly. "While digging for evidence of his infidelity, my investigators stumbled upon something much more lucrative. Trev’s offshore accounts."

"So this isn't about a broken heart," Hannah said, realization washing over her like ice water. "This is blackmail. You want the slush fund."

"I want everything," Eleanor corrected. "The company, the fund, and absolute immunity. Trev is going to sign a document confessing to his crimes, stating he acted alone. He will transfer all assets to me. In return, I will give him a head start before I mail the confession to the Department of Justice."

"You're insane," Trev breathed. "If I sign that, I go to federal prison for the rest of my life."

"If you don't sign it," Eleanor countered, "I send the files to the DOJ tonight. And I make sure they know Hannah was your accomplice."

Hannah froze. "What? No! I didn't know anything about this!"

"Oh, but darling," Eleanor purred, "you've been enjoying the money, haven't you? The penthouse, the gifts, the trips? To a federal prosecutor, that makes you an accessory after the fact."

A digital timer suddenly appeared on the television screen, glowing in harsh red numbers. 23:59:59.