Chapter 5 - THE PLAN DANTE NEVER EXPLAINED
Dante's organization was already under pressure.
Three shipping companies had reported missing funds.
A port supervisor had disappeared.
And Meridian Security was threatening to terminate contracts unless Dante approved a suspicious restructuring agreement.
His adviser, Adrian Cole, believed the theft was part of a hostile takeover.
Dante suspected something worse.
Someone was using his companies to finance criminal operations without his knowledge.
He had inherited a violent organization from his father.
For years, he had tried to separate legitimate businesses from criminal activity.
But the financial network remained tangled.
Now somebody was exploiting that weakness.
When Khloe's attorney informed him that her records connected Meridian to Northstar Advisory, Dante realized she had stumbled into the center of the conspiracy.
He proposed a meeting.
Khloe arrived with Evelyn.
Dante did not object.
“I need your help understanding these transactions,” he said.
Khloe crossed her arms.
“Why?”
“Because you found what my auditors missed.”
“Then hire better auditors.”
Adrian almost smiled.
Dante nodded.
“Fair.”
Khloe studied the financial documents.
Within twenty minutes, she found something unusual.
Northstar's payments were timed to coincide with insurance claims filed by Varga-controlled freight companies.
The amounts did not match exactly.
But the patterns did.
“Someone is creating losses,” she said.
Dante leaned forward.
“What kind?”
“Cargo theft. Damage claims. Security incidents.”
Adrian frowned.
“Those incidents are real.”
“I'm sure they are.”
Khloe pointed at the figures.
“But someone may be arranging them.”
The room became silent.
Dante looked at Adrian.
“Find every security incident connected to Meridian.”
Then he turned back to Khloe.
“You just changed the investigation.”
She shook her head.
“I only followed the numbers.”
May you like
Dante smiled faintly.
“That's usually how the truth begins.”
