Chapter 4 - The House of Cards
By day three, the terror had settled into Ethan’s marrow.
Without the daily capital injection from Whitmore Group, Bennett Logistics stopped functioning. Fuel cards for his fleet of forty delivery trucks were declined at gas stations across three states. His drivers staged a walkout when their payroll checks bounced. Freight clients canceled contracts by the hour.
In less than seventy-two hours, Ethan Bennett went from a man who believed he was about to inherit a fortune to a man drown in twenty million dollars of personal debt.
At the Bennett estate, the atmosphere was toxic.
Gone were the champagne bottles and music. The grand living room was strewn with unpaid bills, legal notices, and empty whiskey bottles.
"You told me she had a million-dollar life insurance policy!" Megan screamed, throwing a crystal vase against the fireplace. It shattered into a thousand glittering pieces. "Where is the money, Ethan?!"
"I told you, her estate is tied up in probate because of the investigation!" Ethan roared back, pacing like a caged beast. "And why are you shouting at me? You're the one who convinced me to do this now instead of waiting for the divorce settlement!"
"Don't you dare pin this on me!" Megan sneered, her face contorted in disgust. "You pulled the trigger! You paid Jimmy five thousand dollars cash out of your safe! If I go down, Ethan, I swear to God I’m taking you with me!"
"You touch a phone and I’ll kill you myself," Ethan snarled, stepping into her space, his eyes bloodshot and wild.
Hidden inside the air conditioning vent above their heads, a pinhole camera recorded every frame of their screaming match, broadcasting it live to my tablet at the safehouse.
Ruth sat across from me, cleaning her sidearm. "They’re falling apart faster than a cheap watch. When do we call the police?"
"Tonight is the Whitmore Group annual gala," I said, applying dark crimson lipstick in front of the vanity mirror. "Ethan thinks he can force his way into the executive suite tonight to confront Daniel Carter and demand a advance on Claire’s life insurance policy. He spent his last five thousand dollars bribing a security guard for two entry passes."
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I turned to face Ruth, my black silk evening gown catching the light.
"He wants his money," I smiled coldly. "I think it's time the Chairwoman gave him his final performance."
