Chapter 17 - The Flight to Geneva
The private Gulfstream G650 sliced silently through the starry stratosphere high above the Atlantic Ocean, its plush leather interior bathed in the soft, ambient glow of recessed lighting.
Salvatore sat by the oval window, nursing a glass of rare scotch, staring out at the endless expanse of midnight blue. The encrypted flash drive recovered from the data center lay on the mahogany table before him, pulsing with secrets that could alter the global economic landscape.
Marcus Vance sat across the aisle, reviewing a thick dossier on his tablet. "Swiss financial authorities have cooperated with our emergency court orders, Salvatore. The accounts tied to 'The Phantom' have been successfully traced to an offshore holding corporation registered in the British Virgin Islands. But the ultimate beneficial owner... it’s buried behind three layers of proxy trustees."
"Trustees can be broken," Salvatore said flatly, taking a slow sip of his drink. "Every human being has a price, a weakness, or a breaking point. Find out who runs the trustee firm in Geneva."
Marcus hesitated, tapping his stylus against the screen. "There’s something else, Salvatore. Intelligence reports indicate that Lucinda Sterling didn't act entirely on her own accord during that birthday party. Financial records show a series of wire transfers made to her personal accounts from the exact same Swiss holding entity just forty-eight hours before the incident."
Salvatore’s eyes snapped toward Marcus, the air in the cabin instantly growing heavy with unspoken menace. "Are you telling me Lucinda was a hired instrument?"
"It’s a strong possibility," Marcus nodded grimly. "Someone wanted to test your defenses, to see how you would react when your daughter was publicly targeted. They used Lucinda’s arrogance and hatred as a blunt instrument to probe your perimeter."
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A dark, dangerous smile touched the corners of Salvatore’s mouth—a terrifying expression that promised absolute devastation to whoever dared pull the strings. "They wanted to see how I react? They’re about to find out."
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