The Memory Keeper: The Sin In Our Name

Chapter 31: Stanton Crisis

As she prepared for the next round of transfers, she heard a soft knock at the door. The door opened without her permission, and one of her trusted operatives stepped inside.

"Ms. Tanaka," the man said, his face tense. "We've just received word. It's worse than we thought. The investigation into the missing funds has reached the upper echelons of Stanton Corporation. They've narrowed down the suspect list to a few key figures."

Lia's stomach tightened. The walls were closing in faster than she anticipated. Her associates on the board were doing everything they could to throw off suspicion, but Lucan Stanton was no fool. He was no longer the golden boy CEO. The cracks were starting to show, and soon, they'd reach the surface.

"What do you suggest?" she asked, her voice as cold as the polished steel of her office.

"We accelerate the plan. Now. Before they find us," the operative said, his words clipped. "It's now or never."

Lia leaned back in her chair, her mind calculating. She could feel the weight of the decision bearing down on her. The final act had to be executed with flawless precision. If she was caught now, everything would fall apart. The money was still sitting in the Stanton Corporation accounts—vast, untouchable—and she had only moments before they closed the net on her. The question wasn't whether she could finish it—it was whether she could get away with it.

"Begin Phase Four," Lia said, her voice steady, a calculated calm hiding the storm beneath. "Take the money. Take it all."

The operative nodded and stepped out, leaving her alone with the growing uncertainty. This was it. This was the final play.

She sat back in her chair, her fingers tapping on the desk as the transfer went through. A sense of anticipation filled the room, mingling with the cold dread creeping into her mind. If Lucan and his family ever figured out who was behind this, it wouldn't just be the money at stake—it would be her life.

For now, though, she had won. The transfer was underway. The Stanton's were doomed.

At least, that's what she thought.

Lia Tanaka was poised on the edge of her victory—just a few more transfers, and she would have drained the Stanton Corporation's accounts, secured the stolen millions, and erased any trace of her involvement. But unbeknownst to her, the company had just become far more difficult to penetrate.

After a series of subtle but escalating irregularities in their financial data, Lucan Stanton had ordered an immediate upgrade to their cybersecurity measures. The firm's cyber team had integrated an advanced system specifically designed to catch irregularities in real-time. They didn't know who was behind the heist, but they were ready for the next move.

Lia's finger hovered over the "confirm" button for the next phase of her transfer when a sudden warning flashed across her screen: Unauthorized Transaction Detected. Immediate Action Required.

Her pulse quickened. Something was wrong. She stared at the alert, trying to make sense of it. She had planned every detail meticulously—how could this happen now?

She clicked on the alert, only to find a deeper message: Attempted Transfer Reversed. All Funds Repatriated.

In that moment, everything she had worked for began to crumble. The funds she had so carefully hidden through her shell corporations were being pulled back into the main account of Stanton Corporation. It was as if a digital booby trap had been triggered. Her sophisticated web of offshore accounts, which she had spent weeks perfecting, was now exposed. Every cent she had siphoned off was making its way back to the very hands she had been trying to deceive.