And again.

With each stroke of the pen, I felt a strange sense of finality.

I was signing away my past, but I was also binding myself to his wealth.

“It is done,” I said, setting the pen down.

Marcus reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, encrypted mobile device.

“I am authorizing the transfer on the secure network now,” he said.

He tapped the screen several times, his fingers moving with practiced efficiency.

The screen glowed green, indicating a successful transmission.

“The ledger is updating,” Marcus said.

“The assets are yours.”

A sudden vibration in my coat pocket startled me.

It was my phone, buzzing against my hip.

I reached in and pulled it out.

The screen lit up with a message from an encrypted number.

It was from Sophia.

I felt a sudden chill that had nothing to do with the wind outside.

Sophia had spent weeks helping me plan my escape.

She was the one who had quiet access to the inner workings of Marcus’s private security.

The message on my screen read: *He is signing the transfer now. Let me know the moment it is confirmed.*