Chapter 32
Emma sat in her office, staring at the piles of documents and files before her, she felt the weight of the situation bearing down on her. She had known that fighting back against Luka and Elliana Diaz was going to be difficult, but as the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place, she realized just how deep the corruption went. They weren’t just after Barrett Industries. This wasn’t about power or money—this was about a full-scale, strategic dismantling of everything she and Alex had built. And the further she dug, the more she saw how much Alex was tangled in their web.
Emma leaned back in her chair and stared at her phone, her thumb absently tracing the edges of the screen. She had just come from a meeting with Thomas. He had offered her a reassuring smile, one that spoke of determination, but the lines of stress were becoming more pronounced on his face. He was ready to fight, but Emma could see that he, too, was feeling the pressure. They were in this together now, and every decision they made, every piece of evidence they uncovered, would determine their futures—not just professionally, but personally as well.
The ringing of her phone interrupted her thoughts. She glanced at the caller ID. It was Thomas.
“Emma,” he greeted, his voice smooth but with a note of urgency. “I’ve got news. Jack has uncovered something that might give us the leverage we need.”
Emma’s pulse quickened. “What is it?”
“Financial transactions,” Thomas explained. “They tie Luka directly to Elliana’s schemes—both their corporate takeovers and market manipulation. It’s bigger than we thought, Emma. And there’s more.”
Emma’s mind raced. She knew that exposing the Diaz family’s corruption would give them the ammunition they needed to break the stranglehold Luka had on Alex.
But at the same time, she couldn’t shake the guilt that lingered in her chest. Alex had been the one to protect her, the one who had brought her into this world. She knew what it would do to him if he found out the truth—if he found out how much of the betrayal had been masterminded by those closest to him. But they couldn’t let Luka’s grip tighten any further. Not when so many lives, including their own, hung in the balance.
“Alright,” Emma said, her voice firm, her resolve setting in. “Let’s make sure we have everything. We can’t afford to leave any holes in this. We expose them all, once and for all.”
The next morning, Jack was already hard at work in the underground office they had set up in the back of Thomas’s building. The dimly lit room was a stark contrast to the bright lights of the corporate world that Emma was used to. But here, away from the polished boardrooms and glass facades, they could talk freely, away from prying eyes and ears. Thomas was standing by the window, his silhouette outlined by the early morning sunlight. Emma took a seat next to Jack, who was hunched over multiple monitors, his fingers flying across the keyboard.
“Anything new?” Emma asked, trying to mask the anxiety in her voice. She knew Jack was their most valuable asset in this fight, but it didn’t make the waiting any easier.
“Definitely,” Jack muttered, his eyes never leaving the screen. “I’ve traced multiple transactions through shell companies, all tied back to Luka. They’re laundering money through Barrett Industries, and there’s a whole network of offshore accounts and illegal market manipulation happening on a global scale. This goes way beyond just New York, Emma. Luka and Elliana’s influence reaches into Europe, Asia, even parts of South America.”
Emma felt a chill run through her. Luka had played a long game. And now they were up against a web of corruption that stretched across continents. But that wasn’t the worst of it. As Jack brought up another screen, Emma could see what he meant. There were bank transfers, stock trades, and a slew of falsified records all pointing to a conspiracy that had been brewing for years. A conspiracy that had manipulated public opinion, stage-managed accidents, and used media disinformation to reshape the stock market to Luka’s advantage.
“There’s more,” Jack continued, his voice low with disbelief. “And it is not good at all,” he said without preamble.
“What is it?” Emma’s voice was steady, but the tension was unmistakable.
Jack took a breath. “It’s about Alex. Luka’s blackmail—it’s worse than we thought. I dug into the financial records tied to Barrett Industries’ South American operations. Luka’s been laundering money through shell companies using Alex’s name. Transactions are being routed as if Alex authorized them personally.”
Emma swore under his breath. “Are you saying Luka’s setting Alex up for financial crimes?”
“Exactly,” he said grimly. “If this goes public, it’ll destroy him. The press will frame it as Alex being complicit, even if we prove it was Luka’s doing. And here’s the kicker—some of the funds have ties to organizations under investigation for serious crimes. This isn’t just about Barrett Industries. It’s personal.”
She was silent for a moment, the weight of brother’s words settling heavily. “Does Alex know?”
“I don’t think so,” Jack replied. “But if Luka’s pushed this far, it’s only a matter of time before he pulls the trigger. We need to act before this goes public.”
Emma’s voice hardened. “Keep digging. Send me everything you have.”
Jack nodded, her eyes focused on the screen. He knew that this was just the beginning. But even as they closed in on their target, she couldn’t help but feel the weight of what they were about to do. This was more than just a corporate battle. This was a personal war. And in the end, no matter who won, there would be casualties.
“We’ll get it all,” she said, her voice resolute. “We expose them for what they are, and we take them down.”
Later that afternoon, Emma and Thomas convened privately in his office, the air heavy with a mix of tension and resolve. The sprawling desk between them was strewn with evidence—documents, charts, and photos—all damning enough to dismantle Luka and Elliana’s carefully constructed empire. The stakes were monumental, but so was their determination.
Thomas handed Emma a thick manila envelope, its contents meticulously sealed. The weight of it was almost tangible, the culmination of weeks of relentless effort.
“This more than enough we needed here,” Thomas said, his tone steady but sharp. “The financial transactions, records of shell companies, bribes, and even the details of their media manipulation campaigns. It’s all here—enough to expose every dirty move they’ve made. They won’t recover from this.”
Emma’s fingers tightened around the envelope, her trembling hands betraying the adrenaline surging through her. She looked at Thomas, her voice quieter but resolute. “This… this could ruin them.”
“It will ruin them,” Thomas corrected, leaning forward, his eyes locking onto hers. “And it’s about time. They’ve crossed every line, Emma—endangering you, attacking Alex, threatening your children. It’s time we show them they’ve underestimated the wrong people.”
Emma drew a deep breath, letting the weight of his words fuel the fire inside her. For weeks, she had felt like a pawn in the Diaz family’s vicious game, constantly under attack. Now, holding the very weapon that could bring them to their knees, she felt something new—a surge of confidence, almost defiant.
“What’s next?” she asked, her voice steady despite the gravity of the moment.
Thomas leaned back in his chair, his expression calm but razor-sharp. “We give them one last chance. We deliver this to Luka and Elliana personally—face-to-face. Let them see exactly how close they are to losing everything.”
Emma raised an eyebrow. “You think they’ll back down?”
Thomas’s lips curled into a faint, knowing smile. “They’ll try to bargain. Beg, even. But if they think they can manipulate their way out of this, they’re mistaken. This time, we hold the power.”
Emma nodded, her resolve hardening. She placed the envelope on the desk and looked Thomas straight in the eye. “And if they don’t walk away?”
The steel in Thomas’s gaze was unrelenting. “Then we burn them to the ground. Publicly. They’ll have no place to hide.”
A dangerous intensity filled the room, one that Emma matched with her own quiet strength. She wasn’t just protecting herself or her children anymore—she was fighting to reclaim her life.
She stood, the manila envelope in her hands, and adjusted her posture. “Then let’s make them listen,” she said, her voice firm.
Thomas rose as well, his presence commanding. “They won’t know what hit them.”
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