Chapter 150: Chapter 150

Two weeks later, Michael and Will were working late into the night.

A few of Will’s men were also present, hunched over their computers and diligently assisting. It was a small, secret team that Will had assembled to expose Christian Callahan and his crimes. Papers and files sprawled across the desk, detailing the evidence that Camille had risked so much to gather.

“Take a look at this, Mike,” Will said, pushing a document toward Michael. “These are bank transactions linking Christian to known criminals. These payments coincide with dates of suspicious activity.”

Michael studied the documents and nodded. “We need to verify these transactions with the bank. Official statements will strengthen our case, but we need to do it secretly. Who knows if Christian Callahan has spies everywhere. We need our most trusted men for this.”

Will sat back and rubbed his temples. “We also need to secure statements from anyone else involved. Grady could be a key witness if we can get him to talk.”

Michael’s jaw tightened. “Grady’s just scared. Christian threatened him and his family to prevent something like this from happening. I’ve been planning to resolve his situation for a while now, so it’s time to strategize.”

Will typed quickly on his laptop. “I’ll arrange a meeting with a trusted police contact. We’ll discuss how to approach Grady safely and discreetly.”

As the night wore on, they compiled a list of potential witnesses, including employees who might have seen or heard incriminating things. They also identified key documents that needed further authentication.

“Camille’s notes suggest that there’s a hidden offshore account,” Michael said, pointing to a section of her file. “If we can trace it back to Christian, it would be damning evidence.”

Will nodded. “I’ll contact a forensic accountant. We need someone who can follow the money trail without arousing suspicion. Christian Callahan may have hundreds of men on his side, but we have just as many on ours. He’s not the only one with power and connections. We might be able to pull this off.”

Over the next few weeks, Michael and Will worked tirelessly, sifting through mountains of documents and digital records. They set up a secure command center in an undisclosed location to avoid detection by Christian’s network.

It was hard work, trying to remain undetected from one of the most powerful men in the country.

However, Christian made a move to physically harm Joanna, and he even threatened Camille many times, so Michael had no intention of holding back this time.

He was going to make sure to succeed.

“Will, I need you to focus on the financials,” Michael instructed one evening. “Follow the money trail of this one. It’ll lead us to the other players involved.”

Will nodded, pulling up transaction histories and tracing the flow of funds. “Christian was careful, but there are always traces. We just need to find them.”

Meanwhile, Michael dug into the communication records, searching for incriminating emails and messages.

Eventually, he found evidence of encrypted communications between Christian and various operatives, including Hank Turner.

Ha! Caught him.

“This is it,” Michael said, pointing to a decrypted message. “Christian was communicating with Hank Turner and some others. We need to identify all the recipients and their roles in this situation.”

The two of them methodically gathered the evidence, making sure that every piece was documented and verified.

The overall investigation so far revealed a web of corruption involving bribery, coercion, and violence orchestrated by Christian to consolidate his power.

To a normal person, this would’ve been terrifying to see. So much power and influence used for corruption and greed. It was sickening.

One night, Will discovered a hidden ledger among the encrypted files. “Mike, look at this. It details payments to several individuals, including politicians and law enforcement officials.”

Michael’s eyes narrowed. “Christian’s reach goes deeper than we thought. We need to make sure that this evidence is secure and ready for presentation.”

As the evidence mounted, they knew that they had to act quickly. Michael arranged for encrypted backups of all their findings, ensuring that there were copies in multiple secure locations. It never hurt to be careful.

It had been a while since he was involved in such a meticulous job like this. It was tiring, but he knew that it was all going to be worth it in the end.

“…We’re ready,” Michael finally said. “Let’s take this to the authorities and the public.”

Michael continued to meet Camille in secret at his private home, maintaining the facade of a man having a secret affair with a powerful man’s soon-to-be wife.

In truth, they were exchanging a number of crucial pieces of information.

“He doesn’t suspect anything yet,” Camille told him calmly. “He understands the difficulty of infiltrating a high-security home with sensitive files and computers. Right now, he just wants me to gain your complete trust so I can access all of your documents.”

“That’s good, then. It means no alarms are going off in his head yet,” Michael replied.

Camille was silent for a moment. “Noah…”

“Yes?” He looked up at her.

She smiled. “Thank you for helping me. I know that Joanna and your family are the main reasons for your actions, but I’m grateful that you’re doing so much to help me.”

He returned her smile. “I told you I would help you no matter what, and I never break a promise.”

***

Time passed quickly, and before anyone realized it, several months had passed. Soon enough, it was the eagerly awaited day of the Callahans’ and McGregors’ joint project announcement.

It was an event that everyone in the business world was waiting for, especially the journalists.

They were all gathered in the grand conference room at Haynes-McGregor Industries. The hall was buzzing with activity, packed with top executives, reporters, and celebrities.

The air was filled with anticipation as Michael stood at the front with a determined expression on his face.

He exchanged a quick nod with his brother Will, who sat among the executives, ready to lend a hand if needed.

John McGregor and his wife sat at the front, watching intently.

Christian stood next to Michael, beside his father, Gregory Callahan. His fiancée, Camille, sat on the left side of the room, right up front, her expression unreadable but tense.

Christian had been eagerly awaiting this day. After the announcement, he planned to exchange congratulations with Michael and then pull Camille close to him, relishing the thought of seeing the envy on Michael’s face. He might even hint that he knew about their secret affair, and then claim that Camille was his alone.

With that, Michael might become even more jealous and possessive, eventually deciding to entrust her with his documents and all his secrets.

And if he ever did that, then it was game over.

Christian, after all, believed that love had a powerful effect on fools like Michael McGregor. Love could bring down even the strongest of men.

But not him. Christian was far too superior for that.

As the room settled, Michael began with an introductory speech.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us today,” he announced pleasantly. “We are all gathered here today to announce a groundbreaking collaboration between the Callahan Group and Haynes-McGregor Industries.”

A polite applause rippled through the room, quickly subsiding as Michael continued, “Before we proceed, however… There are some serious matters that need to be addressed first.”