Chapter 10 - THE DEAL THOMAS WANTED
Thomas requested federal protection.
That information came through Marcus, not criminal rumor.
He offered records.
Cooperation.
Testimony.
In return, he wanted consideration.
Nothing guaranteed.
But he was trying.
His version of events painted Larkin as violent executive leadership and me as the hidden financial architect.
Convenient.
The invisible secretary suddenly promoted to mastermind.
Marcus said:
“We attack documents with documents.”
So we did.
Login histories.
Travel records.
Metadata.
Salary.
My actual lifestyle.
Student debt.
Cheap apartment.
No unexplained wealth.
Compared with the fake Chelsea life created by Thomas.
Then Marissa disappeared.
For twelve hours.
When she resurfaced, she walked into a federal building with her own lawyer.
She wanted cooperation too.
Rats leaving simultaneously.
Larkin called them traitors.
I called them evidence sources.
Marissa admitted using my identity.
She said Thomas ordered it.
But she added something I did not expect.
“You were not originally supposed to be charged.”
I stared across the interview-room glass through counsel access summaries later.
“Then why build everything in my name?”
“Insurance.”
Against Daniel.
Against Larkin.
Against regulators.
A clean shell.
If nobody investigated, it stayed hidden.
If someone did, I absorbed damage.
“Why me?”
Marissa looked ashamed.
“Because Thomas said nobody would care.”
That sentence hurt more than it should have.
Nobody would care if Penelope Woods went to prison.
No family.
No powerful connections.
No boyfriend.
No money.
Student debt.
A disposable person.
Then Marissa said:
“Larkin cared.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“Thomas noticed.”
My pulse changed.
“He said Larkin trusted your numbers.”
That was enough to make me dangerous.
Not emotionally.
Operationally.
If Larkin ever questioned irregularities, my records might contradict Thomas.
So Thomas decided to destroy my credibility first.
The gala was the final step.
Photograph me beside criminals.
Make me publicly represent P. Woods.
Then trigger investigation.
Elegant.
Almost worked.
Then Marissa gave investigators the most important item yet.
Thomas’s internal planning document.
SCENARIO WOODS.
Phases.
Identity creation.
Financial benefit.
Property ownership.
Contract signatures.
Public exposure.
Confession email.
I read it.
My life converted into checklist.
At the bottom:
If Woods resists, use debt pressure.
What debt?
Then I saw attachment.
My student loans.
Thomas had purchased part of the loan portfolio through an investment vehicle.
My stomach turned.
He indirectly controlled a portion of my debt.
Not enough to call the loan.
But enough to track me.
Enough to manipulate payments.
Enough to create the $18,000 benefit.
I closed my eyes.
“Everyone keeps buying pieces of my life.”
Larkin stood nearby.
Then said:
“I can pay the rest.”
I looked at him.
“No.”
He immediately realized.
“Right.”
Good.
No rescue money.
I would solve my debt myself.
Then Daniel called.
The forty-eight-hour timer had twelve hours left.
Federal investigators now knew about the dead-man switch.
They wanted the Marconi ledger.
Victor Marconi wanted it canceled.
Larkin wanted Thomas found.
Then Daniel received coordinates.
From Thomas.
Midtown parking garage.
Message:
BRING PENELOPE.
Of course.
I sighed.
“Does nobody in this city know how to meet without making me the centerpiece?”
Larkin said:
“You’re not going.”
I looked at him.
Wrong.
He corrected himself.
“I strongly prefer you don’t.”
Better.
I went.
With federal coordination.
With Marcus.
With surveillance.
No hero fantasy.
Thomas waited on level seven.
Alone.
Or appeared alone.
He smiled when I stepped out.
“There she is.”
I stopped ten feet away.
“The mastermind?”
He laughed.
“I knew you’d understand eventually.”
Then he held up a small black drive.
“The ledger.”
Federal agents were listening.
He knew.
Did not care.
Thomas looked at me.
“You want your life back?”
“Yes.”
“Then give me Larkin.”
My stomach tightened.
“What does that mean?”
He smiled.
“Tell the government he ordered the shell companies.”
I stared.
“You want me to lie.”
“I want you to choose which criminal goes down.”
May you like
Then he said:
“Choose wrong, and every document says it was you.”
