Married to the Billionaire Who Betrayed Me novel Chapter 243

Chapter 243 Trapped With A Loaded Gun

Tristan melted into the shadows of the hallway. He headed for the exterior balcony. He needed to scale the stone wall to reach the sub-basement. The physical infiltration began.

I approached the broker. I altered my posture. I softened the Chairman. I became a lure. I swayed my hips. I commanded the attention of the room.

I stopped at the edge of his table.

The four guards tensed. They moved their hands to their weapons. They stepped forward to block my path.

The broker raised a hand. He stopped the guards. He looked at my black silk dress. He looked at the slit exposing my thigh. He took the bait.

“You seem lost,” the broker said. His voice sounded smooth. Practiced.

‘I am right where I need to be,” I replied. I offered a slow, deliberate smile. “I hear you hold an item of extreme value. A ledger.”

The broker stiffened. His eyes narrowed behind the silver mask. He set his crystal glass on the table.

Many people hold items of value,” he said. He masked his surprise. “Who do you represent?”

“I represent buyers with endless capital,” I lied. I leaned closer to him. ‘We know the federal prosecutor wants to liquidate his leverage. The political elite abandon him. He needs cash. We want to purchase the leverage before the market opens tomorrow.”

The broker studied my face. He evaluated the risk. He searched for the trap.

“Your buyers sent a beautiful negotiator,” he noted.

“My buyers sent the person who closes the deal, I corrected. I dropped the smile. I let him see the cold intellect in my eyes. “I possess the routing numbers for a secure transfer. I need to see the drive.”

The broker remained silent. He weighed the greed against the caution. Federal Prosecutor Sterling demanded a high price for the ledger. I offered the payout.

“The drive sits in a secure vault,” he said. “I do not discuss business in a crowded room.”

He stood up. He smoothed the lapels of his tailored jacket. He looked at his guards.

“Wait here,” he ordered them.

The lead guard frowned. He disliked the command. “Sir. The perimeter protocols…”

“Wait here, the broker repeated. His tone ended the argument.

The trap snapped shut. He knew. He played along to separate me from the crowd. He isolated me to eliminate the threat without causing a panic in the ballroom.

I reached for the slit in my dress. My fingers brushed the cold grip of the compact handgun strapped to my thigh.

The broker moved faster. He drew a suppressed pistol from his jacket. He aimed the barrel at my chest.

“Keep your hands visible,” he commanded.

I froze. I stared down the dark tunnel of the weapon.

‘Sterling sent a warning,” the broker continued. He circled me. He kept the gun trained on my heart. “He said you were resourceful. He said you might track

the ledger. He offered a massive bounty for your corpse, Minerva.

He knew my name. The alias failed. The mission burned.

‘Shoot me, and my husband burns this chateau to the ground,” I promised. My voice did not shake. I faced death with open eyes.

“Your husband scales the west wall right now,” the broker laughed. A cold, mocking sound. “My men track his movements on the thermal cameras. He walks into a kill box in the sub-basement. You both die tonight.”