Chapter 259

Nathan's jaw tightened as he watched Evelyn and Adrian moving in perfect sync. The sight sent a sharp pang of irritation through him.

With a subtle nod, he signaled Montgomery Pierce who stood nearby. The accountant immediately approached Adrian with purposeful strides.

"Mr. Prescott, we need to verify your financial accounts. Your cooperation would be appreciated."

Adrian responded with a derisive snort before reaching into his tailored suit jacket. He produced a sleek leather wallet with deliberate slowness.

One by one, he slapped the cards onto the polished mahogany table. Each movement dripped with contempt, yet the collection of cards that emerged left the entire room speechless.

Platinum cards from the world's top five financial institutions gleamed under the chandeliers. Among them, a rare UBS palladium card caught the light with its distinctive sheen.

Montgomery's hands trembled visibly. "These... these are all yours?"

Adrian's lips curled in a cold smile. "Isn't that what you wanted to verify? Go ahead. Though I should warn you - any single one of these holds more than your annual salary."

Beads of sweat formed on Montgomery's forehead as he selected a card at random. His fingers shook as he inserted it into the POS terminal. "The... the PIN?"

"Doesn't require one," Adrian drawled.

The moment the machine processed the card, Montgomery's face went pale. The device slipped from his grasp, clattering loudly against the marble floor.

Nathan's voice cut through the tension. "What's wrong with you? It's just a balance check!"

Montgomery could barely form words. If his eyes weren't deceiving him, the displayed balance exceeded nine figures.

And this was merely one account. A dozen more cards lay untouched before them.

The implications were staggering. Why would someone with liquid assets surpassing a billion need to embezzle petty cash?

"Perhaps you'd like to see for yourself, Director Hawthorne?" Montgomery managed weakly.

Nathan snatched the device, his expression shifting from annoyance to disbelief. "This... this can't be correct."

Adrian leaned back, arms crossed. "Unless the banking system's been hacked, those are indeed my funds. That particular card holds approximately 130 million. The one beside it? 200 million. As for the UBS account... let's just say it would cover your company's quarterly earnings."

The numbers rolled off his tongue with casual indifference, as if discussing the weather rather than fortunes that could buy small countries.

Nathan's mind raced. Who was this man? Why had their background checks revealed nothing about such staggering wealth?

"Still think I'd risk my reputation for chump change?" Adrian's voice dripped with sarcasm.

Nathan's grip tightened on the POS machine. "Having money doesn't prove innocence. We need transaction records—"

"By all means," Adrian spread his hands wide. "Dig through every transfer. Just remember this, Director Hawthorne—when your investigation turns up nothing, I'll expect a public apology."

The unspoken challenge hung heavy in the air between them. Nathan's reputation versus Adrian's bottomless bank accounts. A battle he suddenly wasn't certain he could win.