Chapter 9: The Ally Inside
Three days after the gala, I received an unexpected visitor at my office.
My assistant buzzed in: "Ms. Sterling, there's a woman here who says she has information about Cross Industries. She won't give her name."
"Send her in."
The woman who walked through my door was pale, thin, and clearly terrified. It took me a moment to recognize her.
Diane Burke. Wife of Thomas Burke—Daniel's CFO. The man running the money laundering operation.
"Mrs. Burke," I said carefully. "Please sit down."
She sat, clutching her purse like a lifeline. Her hands were shaking.
"I know what my husband's been doing," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "And I know what Daniel Cross is doing. I have proof."
"Why come to me?"
Tears spilled over. "Because Thomas is going to leave me. He's going to take everything and disappear to some country with no extradition. He told me last night—laughing about it—that I'd be left holding the bag when the FBI comes knocking."
She pulled a USB drive from her purse and placed it on my desk.
"Everything's on there. Emails. Account numbers. Recorded conversations. Even one where Daniel explicitly approves a transfer."
I looked at the USB drive. This was it. The missing piece.
"Mrs. Burke, if I use this, your husband goes to prison."
"Good," she said, and for the first time, her voice was steady. "He's had it coming for years."
I took the drive. "I'll have my lawyers protect you. But you'll need to testify."
She nodded, wiping her eyes. "I'm ready."
After she left, I called Marcus. "I have everything. Audio confirmation of Daniel's involvement in the laundering scheme."
Marcus let out a low whistle. "This is federal-level, Ava. Are you sure you want to play it this way?"
"I'm sure."
"Then we go to the FBI tomorrow."
I also called Nathan. "It's time."
"I'll prep the media coverage," he said. "When the indictment drops, it'll be everywhere within the hour."
"Nathan?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
A pause. Then, softly: "You never have to thank me, Ava."
That night, I sat alone in my apartment. The skyline glittered through floor-to-ceiling windows.
I thought about old Ava—the one who would have warned Daniel. The one who would have felt guilty.
She was gone.
The next morning, I walked into the FBI field office with Marcus, the USB drive, and a stack of corroborating documents.
The agent in charge listened for twenty minutes, reviewed the initial evidence, and then looked up at me.
"Ms. Sterling," he said, "we've actually been watching Cross Industries for months. This just gave us everything we needed."
Forty-eight hours later, FBI agents stormed Cross Industries headquarters.
Daniel was arrested at his desk. Thomas Burke was picked up trying to board a flight to Dubai.
The footage played on every screen in the country.
I watched from my office, flanked by my brothers.
Ethan said, "Feel good?"
"Almost," I replied.
Because Daniel's arrest wasn't the end.
It was what came next that would truly destroy him.
And Lily was about to hand me the final weapon herself.
My assistant buzzed in: "Ms. Sterling, there's a woman here who says she has information about Cross Industries. She won't give her name."
"Send her in."
The woman who walked through my door was pale, thin, and clearly terrified. It took me a moment to recognize her.
Diane Burke. Wife of Thomas Burke—Daniel's CFO. The man running the money laundering operation.
"Mrs. Burke," I said carefully. "Please sit down."
She sat, clutching her purse like a lifeline. Her hands were shaking.
"I know what my husband's been doing," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "And I know what Daniel Cross is doing. I have proof."
"Why come to me?"
Tears spilled over. "Because Thomas is going to leave me. He's going to take everything and disappear to some country with no extradition. He told me last night—laughing about it—that I'd be left holding the bag when the FBI comes knocking."
She pulled a USB drive from her purse and placed it on my desk.
"Everything's on there. Emails. Account numbers. Recorded conversations. Even one where Daniel explicitly approves a transfer."
I looked at the USB drive. This was it. The missing piece.
"Mrs. Burke, if I use this, your husband goes to prison."
"Good," she said, and for the first time, her voice was steady. "He's had it coming for years."
I took the drive. "I'll have my lawyers protect you. But you'll need to testify."
She nodded, wiping her eyes. "I'm ready."
After she left, I called Marcus. "I have everything. Audio confirmation of Daniel's involvement in the laundering scheme."
Marcus let out a low whistle. "This is federal-level, Ava. Are you sure you want to play it this way?"
"I'm sure."
"Then we go to the FBI tomorrow."
I also called Nathan. "It's time."
"I'll prep the media coverage," he said. "When the indictment drops, it'll be everywhere within the hour."
"Nathan?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
A pause. Then, softly: "You never have to thank me, Ava."
That night, I sat alone in my apartment. The skyline glittered through floor-to-ceiling windows.
I thought about old Ava—the one who would have warned Daniel. The one who would have felt guilty.
She was gone.
The next morning, I walked into the FBI field office with Marcus, the USB drive, and a stack of corroborating documents.
The agent in charge listened for twenty minutes, reviewed the initial evidence, and then looked up at me.
"Ms. Sterling," he said, "we've actually been watching Cross Industries for months. This just gave us everything we needed."
Forty-eight hours later, FBI agents stormed Cross Industries headquarters.
Daniel was arrested at his desk. Thomas Burke was picked up trying to board a flight to Dubai.
The footage played on every screen in the country.
I watched from my office, flanked by my brothers.
Ethan said, "Feel good?"
"Almost," I replied.
Because Daniel's arrest wasn't the end.
It was what came next that would truly destroy him.
And Lily was about to hand me the final weapon herself.