CHAPTER TEN: THE QUEENS GAMBIT ACCEPTED
"We are in trouble, " I said.
Dominic stood in his office staring at screens that showed nothing but zeroes. Every account. Every fund. Every asset he had built over the years was gone.
"No we are not " I said.
He turned to look at me. His face was grey and empty like something inside him had broken.
"Aria they took everything. Twenty years of work gone in an hour " he said.
"I know " I replied.
"You know? That's all you have to say?" he asked.
"I have more to say but you need to sit down " I said.
"I do not want to sit down. I want to find my mother and make her regret she was ever born " Dominic said.
"Dominic, sit down " I said firmly.
Something in my tone made him stop and really look at me.
"What did you do?" he asked slowly.
"Something I should have told you about a time ago " I said, pulling up my laptop. "Remember when I said I built Morriston Tech from nothing?"
"Yes " he said.
"I lied. I built it from anger " I said, my fingers moving across the keyboard. "I knew someone would come for me eventually so I built insurance."
"What kind of insurance?" he asked.
"The kind that makes me very dangerous if you cross me " I said, turning the screen toward him. "See this? This is a backdoor I installed in the banking software that seventy percent of global financial institutions use, including the ones your mother just used to steal your money."
He stared at the screen. "You hacked into banking systems " he said.
"I did not hack. I built the system. There is a difference " I said.
"Aria, thats illegal " Dominic said.
"So is kidnapping a five-year-old. Here we are " I said, pulling up another window. "Every transaction they made in the hour is tagged, tracked and frozen."
"You froze the accounts?" he asked.
"Not yet.. I can. With one keystroke I can reverse every transfer and redirect it anywhere I want " I said.
"Then do it " Dominic said.
"Not to you " I said.
He went still. "What?"
"I'm not giving it back to you Dominic. I'm putting it in a trust for Luca locked until hes twenty-five with provisions that prevent anyone, including us from touching it " I said.
"That's my money " he said.
"Was your money. Now it's our sons future. Non-negotiable " I said, looking at him. "Unless you want to argue about it while your mother's halfway to a country with no extradition treaty."
He stared at me for a moment. Then something shifted in his face.
He laughed.
"You're terrifying " he said.
"I know " I replied.
"I mean absolutely terrifying " he said.
"Are you complaining?" I asked.
"No. I'm wondering why I ever thought I could live without you " Dominic said, crossing the room and pulling me up from the chair. "Do it. Execute whatever revenge plan you've been sitting on for three years. Burn them all down."
"You're sure?" I asked.
"I've never been more sure of anything " he said.
I pressed enter.
The screens lit up like a Christmas tree. Transactions reversing. Funds redirecting. Account after account draining out of the places they'd been hidden and flowing into a trust I'd set up with Lucas name on it.
It took four minutes.
When it was done Dominic's mother had nothing. Margaret had nothing. Julian had nothing.
Luca had everything.
"Its done " I said.
Dominic was watching the screens with an expression I couldn't read. "How much?" he asked.
"Four point seven billion. Give or take " I replied.
"Jesus " he said.
"I rounded up. Figured we'd earned the interest " I said.
"We?" he asked.
"You think I did this alone? Your security team helped. Your lawyers helped. Even Sarah helped once we explained what was happening " I said.
"Sarah the woman who sold us out?" he asked.
"Sarah the woman whose daughter was being held hostage. There's a difference " I said, closing the laptop. "Her daughters safe now by the way. We extracted her an hour ago while you were getting Luca."
"You've been busy " Dominic said.
"I've been motivated " I replied.
He pulled me against him. Kissed me hard enough that I forgot how to breathe.
"Marry me " he said against my mouth.
"We're already married " I said.
"For real this time. No contract. No strategy. Just us " Dominic said.
"Dominic—"
"I love you Aria. I loved you five years ago when you walked out of that hotel. I loved you when you walked into my office. I loved you when you told me about Luca. I love you now standing in the ruins of my empire watching you casually commit financial crimes to protect our son " he said.
"That's not romantic " I said.
"It's the romantic thing I've ever seen " Dominic said.
I laughed. "You're insane " I said.
"Probably. Is that a yes?" he asked.
"I don't know. Are you going to keep proposing until I agree?" I said.
"Absolutely " Dominic said.
"Then I guess it's a yes " I said.
He kissed me again slower this time like we had all the time in the world.
His phone rang.
He ignored it.
It rang again.
"Answer it " I said.
He pulled it out. "Martinez, what—" He stopped, his face going white. "When?" A pause. "How many?" Another pause. "Stall them. I'm on my way."
He hung up.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Federal investigators just showed up at Morriston headquarters. They have a warrant " Dominic said.
"For what?" I asked.
"Illegal data mining. Corporate espionage. A dozen other charges I didn't catch because I was too busy trying not to have a heart attack " he said, grabbing my hand. "We need to go. Now."
"I didn't do anything " I said.
"Are you sure about that?" Dominic asked.
I thought about the backdoor, the banking software and the three years of building systems that technically absolutely definitely violated fifty international laws.
"Okay maybe I did some things that could be interpreted as illegal but—"
"Aria " Dominic said.
"But I had reasons " I said.
"That's not a defense " he said.
"Then what do we do?" I asked.
"We get you a lawyer, an one and we figure out who the hell reported you because this didn't just happen randomly " Dominic said.
We made it to headquarters in twelve minutes. Federal agents were everywhere carrying boxes downloading data and treating my company like a crime scene.
A woman in a suit approached FBI badge clipped to her belt.
"Aria Morriston?" she asked.
"Yes " I said.
"I'm Special Agent Chen. I have some questions about your company's data acquisition practices " she said.
"I'm happy to answer questions but I'd like my lawyer present " I said.
"That's your right. Though I should mention we have evidence of access to financial systems dating back three years. That's a crime Mrs. Morriston " Agent Chen said.
"I'm aware of what it's " I said.
"Then you're also aware that the penalties include up to twenty years in prison " she said.
Dominic stepped forward. "Shes not saying anything without counsel " he said.
Agent Chen smiled. "Of course. Though you might want to see this first."
She handed me a tablet.
On the screen was a video, security footage of me three years ago in an apartment I thought I'd left behind writing code and building the backdoor.
"Where did you get this?" I whispered.
"From the lead investigator on your case. He was helpful very thorough " Agent Chen said, glancing at her notes. "A Mr. Richard Morriston. Your father I believe?"
The world tilted.
"My fathers " I said.
"Apparently not. Hes actually waiting in conference room B if you'd like to speak with him " Agent Chen said.
I couldn't. Think. My father died seven years ago in a heart attack. I went to the funeral. I stood at his grave.
"Aria?" Dominic's hand was, on my arm. "Are you okay?"
"No " I said.
"Do you want to see him?" he asked.
Did I? The man who remarried fast who let his new wife push me out who chose Elena over me every single time it mattered.
The man I thought was dead.
"Yes " I said.
The conference room was at the end of the hall. Agent Chen opened the door.
A man sat at the table. He looked older than I remembered. His hair was grey. He was thinner.. It was definitely my father.
He looked up when I walked in.
"Hello Aria " he said. His voice sounded the same. "Its been a time."
"You were supposed to be dead."
"I know. It's funny how things turned out." He pointed to the chair across from him. "Sit down. We need to talk."
"Like why are you trying to get me arrested?"
"I'm not trying to get you arrested. I'm trying to help you."
"Help me from what?"
"From yourself. From the trouble you're about to get into. From people who are coming for you that you don't even know about yet." He leaned forward. "You made something powerful Aria. Too powerful. Now there are people who want it. People who are way worse than Julian and Dominic's mom."
"Who are they?"
"They're the kind of people who don't care about negotiating. They just take what they want. Hurt anyone who gets in their way." He pulled out a file. He put it on the table between us. "They might even hurt your son."
I grabbed the file. I opened it.
Inside were pictures. Of Luca. At school. At the park. At the house we thought was safe.
All taken in the twenty four hours.
All marked with red Xs.
"Who are they?" I was shaking.
"They're called The Syndicate. They're a group of criminals from around the world. They've been watching your tech for two years. Now that you've used it to move a lot of money they know how valuable you are."
"What do they want?"
"They want you. Your tech. Your expertise. They want you to build them a system that can control the worlds money markets. If you say no—" He looked at the pictures. "They'll take Luca.. They won't give him back."
Dominic put his hand on my shoulder. "Is this a threat?"
"It's a warning. From the person in this building who actually cares if Aria is safe in the next forty eight hours."
My father stood up. He fixed his jacket.
"You have two choices " he said. "Work with me. I'll keep you safe from them.. Say no and watch everything you built including your family get destroyed. It's up to you."
He walked to the door. He stopped.
"Oh and Aria? That ring Dominic is going to offer you?" He smiled.. It didn't look real. "I'd wait on that. If you get married it makes you a liability.. Where we're going you can't afford to have liabilities."
He left.
I looked at Dominic.
"Hes lying " Dominic said. "He has to be lying."
"What if hes not?"
My phone buzzed.
It was a number.
I opened it.
One message.
Your fathers telling the truth. We've been watching.. We're done waiting. You have seventy two hours to accept our offer. We take the boy. This time, for good.
Below it was a picture.
Not of Luca.
Of me.
Taken through the conference room window.
Thirty seconds ago.
They were here.
In the building, watching.