Chapter 7 - The Clock Strikes Midnight
""Turn the car around,"" Eva ordered, her voice trembling but uncompromising.
""Eva, absolutely not!"" Diane yelled from the seat beside her. ""You are in active labor! The contractions are less than four minutes apart! You cannot go back to that penthouse!""
""If that transfer clears, forty-two million dollars disappears into untraceable shell accounts,"" Eva gasped, pressing her forehead against the cool tinted window. ""That is the trust fund for my child’s future. That is the leverage that keeps the Cross family from burying me in endless litigation. Marcus, turn the car around!""
Marcus looked in the rearview mirror, conflicted, but the absolute command in Eva's eyes left no room for debate. He swung the heavy vehicle across three lanes of traffic, tires screeching against wet asphalt as they reversed course toward the high-rise district.
Inside the car, the digital clock on the dashboard read 11:47 PM. The Zurich clearinghouse settlement window closed at midnight sharp. Thirteen minutes.
Eva dialed the Swiss bank's private wealth director directly. ""Herr Weber,"" she began, struggling to keep her breath steady. ""This is Eva Vance. Account reference Alpha-Nine-Zero.""
""Ah, Frau Vance,"" Weber’s accented voice answered smoothly. ""We are currently processing the asset reallocation requested by your medical proxy. We received confirmation that you were undergoing emergency procedures—""
""The transfer is fraudulent!"" Eva snapped, biting her lip as another violent spasm wracked her spine. ""I am fully lucid. Weston Cross submitted forged documentation!""
""Frau Vance, protocol under Swiss banking regulations requires the physical hardware token confirmation to halt an executed high-priority wire once authorized by the registered secondary proxy,"" Weber stated, entirely bureaucratic. ""Unless the token is synchronized with our terminal before midnight, the transaction is irreversible under automated escrow law.""
""Ten minutes, Weber,"" Eva growled. ""Keep the line open.""
The car slammed to a halt outside the penthouse tower at 11:53 PM. Vance jumped out first, clearing the private elevator while Diane supported Eva’s weight. Eva could barely put pressure on her right leg; the baby had dropped completely, and every step sent sharp shockwaves through her pelvic bones.
They rode the express elevator to the 60th floor in suffocating silence. 11:56 PM.
The elevator doors parted directly into the penthouse foyer. The safe was behind the portrait of Eva’s late father in the study. Eva stumbled forward, leaning heavily on Diane's shoulder, sweat drenching her temples.
She reached the safe, punched in the six-digit code, and placed her thumb on the scanner. The heavy steel door popped open. Eva reached inside for the black hardware fob.
Her hand hit empty velvet.
The token was gone.
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Standing in the shadow of the doorway, holding the glowing USB fob between her fingers, was Eleanor Cross’s personal assistant, Karen.
""Eleanor told me you might come back for this,"" Karen whispered, backing toward the balcony door.
