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Chapter 4

Avery

The flicker of the office lights overhead feels more like an afterthought as I sit buried in records, reports, and the seemingly endless mountain of public documents surrounding Zephyr Kane and his empire. My focus is razor-sharp, eyes scanning through columns of data in search of something—anything—that doesn't fit. The soft hum of the office air conditioning is the only background noise as I navigate the tangled web of Kane's public life. My heart races every time I spot a detail that feels just slightly off.

One discrepancy pops out from the screen: a property deal where the listed sale price doesn't match up with Kane's official financial reports. A small inconsistency, but in a carefully curated empire like his, small mistakes can often point to larger issues. I lean in, heart pounding as I scroll deeper into the records, unearthing more anomalies. The numbers don't lie—there are gaps, and where there are gaps, there's a chance for something darker lurking beneath.

With a quick tap, I send the data to the printer, eager to show Maverick. These small discrepancies might not be enough to take down Zephyr Kane, but they're enough to start pulling on the thread that could unravel the whole operation. A sense of urgency thrums in my veins as I collect the documents and make my way through the office to find Maverick.

As I approach his desk, I see him hunched over his computer, brows furrowed. He looks up just as I reach him, and we nearly collide, the intensity of the moment washing over both of us. There's no time for pleasantries.

"I found something," I blurt out, the adrenaline pushing the words out of my mouth faster than I can control.

"So did I," Maverick responds, his voice low and intense. "But you go first."

I lay the documents on his desk, pointing out the inconsistencies. "Look at this—there are property sales that don't line up with the official financial statements. And then I found a trail of transactions involving a shell company registered in a tax haven. It's small stuff, but it doesn't fit. I think this is the start of something much bigger."

Maverick leans in, scanning the papers with sharp eyes. His lips quirk up in a smile, impressed despite himself. "Nice work, Collins. But you won't believe what I dug up."

Before I can ask, we're interrupted by a knock on the door. Ethan Brooks, Maverick's best friend and a key part of our team, walks in, casually dressed but carrying an air of focus. He was brought in by Maverick a few days ago to help us dig deeper into Kane's operation. Ethan's good at what he does—he has a knack for data analysis and putting pieces together in ways that most people wouldn't think of.

"You called for backup?" Ethan asks, a smirk playing on his lips as he steps inside. He glances between Maverick and me, sensing the intensity in the room. "You guys look like you've just found the Holy Grail or something."

"We might have," Maverick replies, handing Ethan a copy of the documents. "Avery's onto something here. Financial discrepancies, shell companies—classic signs of money laundering or worse."

Ethan's eyes skim over the papers, his expression growing more serious by the second. "This... this could be big. But it's not enough on its own. We need something that ties this directly to Kane. Something that proves he's behind it."

"That's what I was thinking," I say, my mind racing. "We need to find more—more records, more transactions, more connections that lead straight to Kane."

Maverick exchanges a glance with Ethan, then nods at me. "We've been looking at Kane's associates—some of them have murky pasts, and their financials are just as suspicious as his. We think we might be able to use that to get more dirt on Kane. If we dig deeper into his inner circle, we might find the connection we're missing."

Ethan nods, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. "I can cross-reference these with some of the offshore accounts I've been tracking. Maybe there's a pattern there that ties them all together."

We spend the next few hours locked in, poring over records and comparing notes. Ethan works his magic, piecing together transactions, offshore accounts, and the shady connections between Kane's associates. Every lead we follow takes us deeper into the shadows of Kane's empire, and every piece of the puzzle brings us one step closer to the truth.

Maverick

Avery's onto something huge. The discrepancies in Kane's financials are like breadcrumbs leading straight into a tangled web of offshore accounts and shell companies. Ethan's already pulling up more data, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he cross-references names, transactions, and dates. The energy in the room is palpable—like we're standing on the edge of a cliff, ready to leap.

I glance at Avery, who's focused, determined, her mind working as fast as mine. She's sharp—sharper than I gave her credit for when we first started this. And as much as I hate to admit it, we make a pretty good team. But there's no time to dwell on that now.

Ethan pulls up a file on his laptop, his eyes narrowing. "Check this out," he says, spinning the screen around to show us. "There's a string of transactions that link back to a company owned by one of Kane's closest advisors—Kai Storm. The amounts are small, spread out over several years, but they all end up in offshore accounts under the name of a holding company in the Cayman Islands. It's a classic laundering operation."

I feel a surge of adrenaline. This is it. We're finally cracking open the vault of secrets Kane's been hiding. "Can we prove that Kane's directly involved?" I ask, leaning closer.

"Not yet," Ethan replies. "But it's enough to start putting the pressure on. If we can get Emily Harper to confirm that she knew about these transactions, we might have enough to push for more answers."

Avery nods. "I'll reach out to her. She's already on edge about what she knows, but if we can convince her that we're close to exposing Kane, she might be willing to spill everything."

Ethan looks between us, his expression serious. "We have to be careful. Kane's no fool. If he catches wind of what we're doing, he'll shut this down before we can get close."

Avery and I exchange a glance. We both know the risks. But we've come too far to back down now. "Let's do it," I say, my voice firm. "We're running out of time."

With the plan in place, we prepare to meet with Emily and continue unraveling Kane's empire. But as we leave the office that night, there's a feeling of unease in the air—like we're standing at the edge of something dangerous, and the next step could send us tumbling into the abyss.

We've got the lead, but now we need to play our cards right.