Chapter 6 - What Alidoro Really Stole
Dempster hit the attacker before Selena could scream.
The struggle lasted seconds.
Security flooded the corridor.
The man was captured.
He carried no identification.
But he carried a photograph of Selena.
Taken that morning.
Someone had known exactly where they were going.
Back at the mansion, Selena refused Dempster’s suggestion that she leave the state.
“No.”
“You were attacked.”
“And hiding worked wonderfully for Celia.”
He couldn't argue.
They opened the hard drive offline.
Most files were encrypted.
Selena recognized the architecture.
Her mother’s.
She had taught Selena basic cryptography as a teenager and called it “math with secrets.”
Selena smiled through tears.
Six hours later, she broke the first layer.
Transaction records appeared.
Hundreds of millions moved through Meridian.
Names followed.
Victor Flores.
Charles Wright—Alidoro’s father.
Judges.
Executives.
Police officers.
Then Selena found something worse.
Her own predictive algorithm.
Created years after Marianne died.
Embedded inside Meridian’s current laundering software.
“How?” Selena whispered.
Dempster understood first.
“Alidoro.”
Selena felt sick.
He had not merely stolen her work for profit.
He had used it to modernize the criminal network her mother died trying to expose.
Her algorithm was helping criminals evade detection.
Dempster touched the desk beside her but not her.
“What do you need?”
“To destroy him.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Legally.”
“Disappointing.”
She looked at him.
He was joking.
Again.
And despite everything, she laughed.
They worked until midnight.
Selena traced modifications to her code.
One user appeared repeatedly.
AW-01.
Alidoro Wright.
Another:
HF-03.
Helena Flores?
No.
Helena Wright.
Selena leaned back.
“His mother is still involved.”
Dempster nodded.
“Maybe she's the caller.”
“Then why warn us?”
“Because criminal families are rarely as united as family portraits suggest.”
Selena studied him.
“You would know.”
“Yes.”
No defensiveness.
She appreciated that.
At one in the morning, Selena finally closed the laptop.
Dempster was asleep in a chair.
A billionaire suspected crime boss sleeping awkwardly because he had refused to leave her alone.
She watched him.
His face looked younger asleep.
Less dangerous.
She reached toward his shoulder.
His eyes opened instantly.
Selena jumped.
“Jesus.”
“Sorry.”
“Do you ever actually sleep?”
“Occasionally.”
She smiled.
Then noticed his gaze drop toward her hand.
The ring.
“Why did you choose this?”
“The ring?”
“Yes.”
Dempster hesitated.
“It belonged to my mother.”
Selena stopped.
“You gave me your mother’s ring during a fake emergency marriage?”
“It wasn't fake.”
“You know what I mean.”
“She left instructions.”
“What instructions?”
“That I should only give it to a woman I respected before I loved her.”
Selena’s heart stumbled.
“Do you?”
“Respect you?”
“Yes.”
“Very much.”
She couldn't breathe properly.
Dempster stood.
He was close now.
Not touching.
Waiting.
Selena realized he was always waiting for permission.
She rose.
Their faces were inches apart.
Then the computer chimed.
New file decrypted.
Selena stepped back.
On-screen was a video.
Marianne Roundtree appeared.
Alive.
Younger.
Terrified.
“If Selena is watching this, then they found me.”
Selena covered her mouth.
Her mother continued.
“Do not trust Charles Wright.”
A pause.
May you like
“And whatever you do, do not trust the man who calls himself Dempster Flores.”
Selena slowly turned toward her husband.
