My fingers hovered over the keyboard.

They were stiff and cold.

I typed in my username and password, my chest tightening with every keystroke.

The database loaded slowly, a small circle spinning in the center of the screen.

“There is a tier called ‘Special Benefactors,'” I said. “It bypasses the standard background checks because the donors are vetted by the board.”

“Excellent,” Arthur said.

“I need the names,” I said. “And the photos for the security badges.”

Arthur slid a black flash drive across the desk.

“Everything you need is on there,” he said.

I plugged the drive into the side of the laptop.

Six folders appeared on the screen, each containing a name, a high-resolution photo, and a forged corporate tax ID.

One of the names was Arthur’s, listed under an alias: Arthur Pendelton.

“This is fraud,” I murmured as I dragged the files into the gala’s master database.

“It is self-preservation,” Arthur corrected me.

I clicked the final approval button.

The screen flashed a quiet green: *Registrations Confirmed. Badges Sent to Print.*