Chapter 6
“I was hoping someone could show me the original schedules.”
Everett relaxed.
“They’re very complicated.”
“Then I’ll read slowly.”
He laughed.
That laugh became his first major mistake.
His second was allowing her supervised access to historical documents because he assumed she was incapable of understanding them.
Within two hours Abigail found what she needed.
An internal reference number.
A ledger series that did not appear in the official records.
She memorized it.
Three days later the first attack came.
A Costa waterfront warehouse suffered a false fire-system activation that destroyed millions of dollars in inventory.
Then anonymous messages told truck drivers the company was bankrupt.
Employees panicked.
Clients hesitated.
Rumors spread.
Leonardo wanted retaliation.
Abigail wanted patterns.
“Sloan isn’t destroying your businesses,” she told him.
“Tell that to the warehouse.”
“He’s weakening confidence. Every incident makes lenders nervous, employees afraid, and shareholders impatient.”
“Why now?”
“Because he knows somebody is looking.”
Then the attacks changed direction.
One morning Bianca entered the breakfast room carrying her tablet.
“Don’t look at this.”
Abigail already knew that meant she had to.
A gossip site had published photographs of her.
The headlines mocked her clothes.
Her weight.
Her background.
One called her a desperate housekeeper who had tricked a wealthy widower.
Another claimed Leonardo had chosen a woman nobody else wanted because she would be easier to control.
Felix slammed the table.
“I want their names.”
“Sit down,” Abigail said.
“They’re insulting you!”
“They don’t know me.”
Samuel pointed at the screen.
“They said Dad is embarrassed to be seen with you.”
Leonardo entered.
May you like
He read the article.
His jaw tightened.
