The Double or more Life of the Fake Heiress (Mirabella)

The data download finished in a flash, popping onto Johnny's desktop like a Jack- in-the-box. His hand hovered over the mouse, hesitating. He wasn't sure if the file was urgent, so he glanced at Owen, who was still deep in conversation, unlikely to wrap up anytime soon.

Not one to waste time, Johnny clicked to open the folder.

As the contents came into view, his eyes lit up with excitement. By the time he'd finished reading, he was so thrilled he couldn't find the words.

There it was in black and white: who had written the whistleblower letter, the snakes causing trouble in City Hall, and, most damningly, the shady backdoor dealings of several leaders, with evidence of corruption spilling over like apples in a harvest basket. If anyone thought they could turn the tables with this evidence in hand, they were dreaming.

Johnny took a deep breath, setting aside the mystery of the anonymous email sender for now. One thing was clear: this was a jackpot for Owen.noveldrama

Without further ado, Johnny, carrying his laptop, made a beeline for Owen, disregarding the fact that he was mid-discussion with the Chief Prosecutor.

"Owen, this report from Gilbert Corporation's manager alleges you accepted money from them..." Before the Chief Prosecutor could finish, Johnny cut in, unable to contain himself.

"Pfft, took money from Gilbert Corporation, did I? Let's see that so-called evidence. I want to know how I'm supposed to have pocketed their cash."

Johnny plunked the laptop down on a nearby table and snatched the so-called evidence from the Chief Prosecutor's hands without giving him a chance to speak.

The document detailed where he and Owen had been, what time they met with Gilbert Corporation's Bernardo, along with a few photos of him and Bernardo's wife standing together.

This was from the day of the shindig at the Gilbert estate.

He remembered, at that gathering hosted by the Gilberts, a colleague from another department was present, and in front of this very colleague, the Gilberts had slipped him a card.

So, this twisted narrative had a helping hand from that colleague, didn't it?

The Chief Prosecutor spoke again, "Johnny, regarding the money, there are other colleagues who can testify."

Johnny's eyes flashed with an 'I knew it' look. He scoffed lightly and tossed the document onto the coffee table. "Feel free to bring this comrade over for a confrontation. But before you do, maybe you should take a look at this."

With that, he lifted the laptop, opened a different file, and placed it in front of the Chief Prosecutor.

A sense of foreboding washed over the Chief Prosecutor, but he kept his calm facade as he took the laptop.

The email was sent anonymously by Curtis, originally intended to provide Owen with hard evidence regarding a scandalous tweet. However, during his dive into the City Hall's network, Curtis stumbled upon some rather interesting tidbits and, feeling generous, he copied them to include in Owen's email.

After all, the cyber-attack on Ms. Mirabella had ties to these City Hall cronies. It was high time they learned why the flowers were so red - some people just aren't meant to be used as targets.

And this Chief Prosecutor was one of the smaller fish caught in the net of corruption detailed in the data. As he read through the file on the laptop, his face lost all color, his body sapped of strength. He slumped onto the couch, "Owen, I..."