Chapter 4
324words
Using Shadow's techniques, breaching their laughably insecure corporate network was child's play. What I found was a goldmine of corruption—years of systematic tax evasion, fraudulent contracts with shell companies, illegal fundraising schemes... I methodically captured every damning detail, encrypting the evidence across multiple secure cloud servers.
Meanwhile, I discovered that Vivian, under Rachel's guidance, had started dabbling in the family business, securing a subcontract for a government cultural project. This was a gift-wrapped opportunity! Her amateur greed led her to substitute cheap materials for premium ones, inflate invoices, and pocket the difference—leaving an embarrassingly obvious trail. I meticulously compiled this evidence too, including security footage of her smug expression while accepting envelopes stuffed with cash.
The moment to spring the trap had arrived.
I delivered the complete dossier on Vivian's corruption, bribery and forgery—along with damning evidence of Woods Building Materials' tax fraud—to the project audit department, the municipal ethics commission, and several of Woods Building Materials' hungriest competitors.
Vivian's cultural project imploded into a full-blown scandal! The audit department swooped in, freezing all project funds and halting operations. Vivian was escorted from campus by investigators for questioning. When the story broke, what remained of her reputation was obliterated.
Almost simultaneously, a joint task force of tax inspectors and fraud investigators descended on Woods Building Materials headquarters. They sealed records, froze accounts, and hauled Gregory in for questioning. The staggering fines and back taxes hit like a death knell, shattering their already precarious finances. Banks canceled credit lines, suppliers blockaded warehouses demanding payment, and business partners couldn't distance themselves fast enough.
Overnight, the Woods name became toxic—a cautionary tale whispered in boardrooms across the city.
Rachel unraveled completely, frantically calling in favors only to find her contacts' numbers suddenly "disconnected." She paced the mansion like a caged animal, her designer heels wearing paths in the imported carpet.
