The Waitress Humiliated His Fiancée in Front of the Whole Restaurant—And the Mafia Boss Only Smiled

Tracking the digital footprint wasn't enough. Ava and Jennifer spent forty-eight sleepless hours mapping the financial web Elias Sterling had spun to frame Dylan, but the final piece of the puzzle—the direct authorization linking Sterling to the shadow firm—was locked on a physical, offline server.

"It’s in his private penthouse office at the Apex Tower," Jennifer explained, pointing to a blueprint on the clinic's conference table. "He hosts a massive charity gala there every year on Thanksgiving Eve to launder his public image. The server room is on the floor directly beneath the ballroom."

Ava stared at the blueprints. "So we need to get into the gala, slip downstairs, bypass the biometric lock, and download the drive before midnight."

"I can get us invitations," Jennifer said, tapping her pen. "My name is toxic, but I still know which event planners can be bribed. But neither of us can bypass a biometric lock. We need someone who operates outside the law."

Ava closed her eyes. She knew exactly who that was.

Two nights later, Ava stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror in her apartment. She wore a floor-length, deep burgundy silk gown that Jennifer had procured. It was elegant, striking, and felt like armor.

There was a knock at her door.

She opened it to find Gabriel. He wore a flawless, midnight-blue tuxedo. The sight of him stole the breath from her lungs. He looked incredibly dangerous, a predator disguised in high society's clothing.

"You called," Gabriel said, his dark eyes slowly taking in her appearance. A flicker of raw, unrestrained heat passed through his gaze before he locked it away.

"I need your help to break into Elias Sterling's server room tonight," Ava said, skipping the pleasantries. "He framed Dylan. I need the proof to clear him."

Gabriel didn't hesitate. He didn't ask about the risk. "Tell me the plan."

The Apex Tower gala was a blinding display of wealth and hypocrisy. Chandeliers dripped with crystal, champagne flowed like water, and the city's elite danced while the people they exploited shivered in the streets below.

Ava and Gabriel walked into the ballroom arm-in-arm. The physical contact was strictly professional, a cover for the security cameras, but the heat of his hand on the small of her back sent electric jolts up her spine.

"Sterling is holding court near the ice sculpture," Gabriel murmured, leaning in close so his breath brushed her ear. "He has four armed private security guards. You need to create a distraction upstairs while I go down to the server room."

"No," Ava said firmly. "I know exactly which files to copy. I have to go down there. You cause the distraction."

Gabriel looked at her, his jaw tightening. "Ava, if you get caught down there, it's corporate espionage. You will go to federal prison."

"I am not leaving without the evidence to save my brother," Ava insisted, her eyes locking onto his. "Distract him."

Gabriel stared at her for a long moment, acknowledging the iron will of the woman standing before him. He nodded once.

Ava slipped away, melting into the crowd and finding the service stairwell Jennifer had mapped out. She descended to the executive floor, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm against her ribs. The hallway was dead silent, lined with sleek, modern art.

She reached the server room. The biometric scanner glowed red.

Suddenly, her earpiece crackled. It was Jennifer, parked in a van three blocks away. "Ava, Gabriel just caused a scene. He openly accused Sterling of wire fraud in front of the mayor. Security is scrambling. I am looping the camera feed in the hallway now. Use the bypass drive on the scanner."

Ava plugged the small device into the scanner's port. It whirred, cycling through thousands of codes until the light blinked green. The heavy door clicked open.

She rushed inside, the freezing air of the server room hitting her face. She plugged her laptop into the mainframe, her fingers flying across the keys. She found the hidden ledger, the authorization signatures, the trail of dirty money used to frame Dylan.

Downloading... 45%... 70%...

The door behind her hissed open.

Ava froze.

"I must admit, Ms. Vance," Elias Sterling’s voice echoed in the cold room, dripping with venomous amusement. "I expected Gabriel Reed to be the one foolish enough to break in here. I underestimated your desperation."

Ava turned around. Sterling stood in the doorway, flanked by two massive security guards with their hands resting on the holsters of their weapons.

The download bar on her screen hit 99%.

"Step away from the console," Sterling ordered, his smile vanishing.