CHAPTER 8 — SIXTY MINUTES
The silver case contained access keys to Montrose Global’s oldest financial archives.
If Evelyn released those files without context, decades of confidential settlements, acquisition records, and employee information would become public.
Some records would expose crimes committed by Adrian and Damian.
Others would damage innocent people.
Claire assembled the cybersecurity team.
Marcus searched every property connected to Evelyn.
Alexander remained in the boardroom.
Isabella faced him across the long table.
“You have fifty-eight minutes to tell me the truth.”
Her father sat down slowly.
Three days before Eleanor Montrose died, she discovered Evelyn had been stealing from the trust controlling Cross Meridian.
Eleanor planned to remove the Cross family entirely.
Evelyn threatened to expose private medical information about Isabella, who had been born with a serious heart condition.
“She believed investors would see you as a weak heir,” Alexander explained.
“My mother changed the trust because of that?”
“No. I changed the administrative authority to prevent Evelyn from accessing it.”
“Did my mother approve?”
“She intended to.”
“That is not what I asked.”
Alexander’s silence answered her.
He had acted without Eleanor’s final signature.
His decision may have protected Isabella.
It had also created the legal weakness Evelyn had exploited for years.
“Why did you hide this?”
“Because I was ashamed.”
Isabella looked at the man who had spent his life teaching her that truth was the foundation of power.
“You did not protect me by lying.”
“I know.”
The countdown reached forty-one minutes.
Marcus entered with new information.
The data release was being controlled from a Cross family estate outside the city.
The mansion had belonged to Evelyn’s late sister.
A tactical team moved toward the property.
Meanwhile, Isabella ordered Claire to prepare a public statement.
“We disclose the truth ourselves.”
Alexander stared at her.
“All of it?”
“All of it.”
“If the market hears that the trust authority may have been improperly changed—”
“They will hear it from me before Evelyn can use it against us.”
Isabella went live twenty-seven minutes before the scheduled release.
She admitted the existence of irregular trust documents.
She announced an independent investigation.
She promised cooperation with regulators and protection for employees whose information might be exposed.
The market reacted instantly.
Montrose shares fell.
But the company did not collapse.
Evelyn’s greatest weapon had been secrecy.
Isabella had taken it away.
With six minutes remaining, Marcus called.
“We found the estate. Evelyn is not here.”
“Then who activated the release?”
“Adrian Locke.”
Isabella looked at the countdown.
Three minutes.
Marcus continued.
“There is another problem. Adrian did not upload the entire archive.”
“What did he upload?”
“A single video recorded by your mother.”
The countdown reached zero.
Every major news platform received the file.
Eleanor Montrose appeared on-screen.
She looked frightened.
Then she spoke directly into the camera.
“If anything happens to me, the person responsible will be someone my husband trusts with his life.”
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The video ended.
Across the boardroom, every person slowly turned toward Alexander.
