Chapter 28
CHAPTER 28: THE DECEPTION
"Your father’s signature cleared our Zurich servers ten minutes ago," Arthur said, guiding me toward a private balcony overlooking the dark ocean. The wind whipped at my gown, but I didn't flinch. "The transition is complete. Grupo Salazar is now an official subsidiary of the Obsidian Group. You've made the right choice, Valeria. Your son will grow up very, very rich."
"I didn't come here for the money, Arthur," I whispered, stepping dangerously close to him, my eyes locked onto his. I could feel the digital hacking device burning against my thigh. "I came for Sofia Vance. Release the deactivation code for the micro-explosive. Now."
Arthur let out a soft, patronizing laugh, reaching out to touch my chin. "You’re in no position to negotiate, my dear. Sofia stays in our custody until the asset integration is fully verified in seventy-two hours. You see, I don't trust your father. He’s too quiet."
Right then, the gold watch on Arthur's wrist began to chime a sharp, rapid alarm.
At the exact same moment, the lights in the grand ballroom behind us flickered violently. The smooth classical music sputtered and died, replaced by the red flashing strobe lights of the yacht's emergency system.
Arthur’s phone buzzed aggressively. He pulled it out, his face hardening as he read the screen.
"System failure," he muttered, his voice losing its aristocratic calm. "The Zurich servers are corrupting... the routing numbers are erasing."
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He looked up at me, his cold eyes turning into absolute fire. "What did you do?"
"I told you, Arthur," I smiled, stepping backward toward the edge of the balcony. "A Salazar always delivers her debts. My father didn't sign your protocol. He signed your death warrant."
