Chapter 21: The Trap is Sprung

The office was cloaked in a strange stillness as the evening sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the cubicles. The faint hum of computers and the occasional distant murmur were the only sounds echoing through the otherwise empty floor.

Elliot sat at his desk, his laptop open in front of him, eyes fixed on the encrypted tracker Chloe had set up. A blinking cursor pulsed in the corner of the screen as streams of numbers and account details flowed by.

The Rizz God System whispered faintly in his mind:

"He's going to move tonight, Elliot. The final play is in motion. Be ready."

Across the floor, Chloe sat hunched over her monitor, her glasses reflecting the glow of her screen. Sweat dotted her brow, and her fingers moved frantically across the keyboard.

"It's happening," she said breathlessly. "Aaron's making a transfer. It's a huge sum, Elliot. He's trying to funnel it into one of the offshore accounts."

Elliot's heart raced, but his face remained calm. "How long do we have?"

"Minutes," Chloe replied. "I can stall the transfer, but it'll only buy us time."

Elliot rose from his chair and straightened his tie. "Do it. Block it, and make sure he knows someone's watching."

Chloe nodded, her fingers flying across the keys as she worked to interrupt the transaction. The sound of furious typing filled the space.

Aaron's office door burst open with a loud bang, hitting the wall as Elliot strode in with icy determination. Aaron was hunched over his laptop, his face illuminated by the blue light of the screen. Panic flashed briefly in his sharp eyes before he masked it with his usual smirk.

"Well, well," Aaron said, leaning back in his chair. "Graves. Always a pleasure."

Elliot closed the door behind him, his voice low and sharp. "The game's over, Aaron. The money's frozen, and we have the records. You're done."

Aaron chuckled darkly, though the tension in his shoulders gave away his unease. "You think you've won, Graves? You think you're so clever? You don't know the half of it."

Elliot stepped closer, his presence looming over Aaron's desk. "It's over. I have the files, the logs, and the tracker. You're not talking your way out of this one."

Aaron's smirk faltered, and for the first time, Elliot saw genuine fear flicker across his face. "You have nothing," he hissed. "No one's going to believe you over me."

Elliot leaned forward, his voice calm but deadly. "We'll see about that."

He turned and walked out of the office, leaving Aaron seething in his chair, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"He's cornered now, Elliot," the Rizz God System said softly. "But cornered rats will bite. Be ready for anything."

Bianca was pacing behind her desk when Elliot walked in, her phone pressed to her ear. She ended the call the moment she saw him and turned to face him, her green eyes sharp and filled with urgency.

"Did you get him?" she asked.

Elliot nodded. "Chloe froze the transfer. We have everything we need."

Bianca let out a long breath, her shoulders sagging slightly with relief. She walked around her desk and leaned against it, her arms crossed over her chest.

"This could still backfire, Elliot. If Aaron spins this the right way…"

"He won't get the chance," Elliot said firmly. "We have enough to bury him."

Bianca studied him for a long moment, her emerald gaze searching his face. "You've done well, Elliot. Better than I ever expected."

There was a softness in her voice a rare vulnerability that she rarely allowed herself to show. For a moment, they just stood there in silence, the weight of everything they had been through hanging heavy in the air.

Bianca pushed off the desk and walked closer to him, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor. When she stopped in front of him, she reached out and straightened his tie, her fingers lingering on the fabric.

"Tomorrow, we take this to Richard and the board," she said softly. "And when this is over… we'll figure out what happens next."

Elliot nodded, his voice low. "Together?"

Bianca smiled faintly. "Together."

For a brief moment, it seemed like she might lean closer, but she stopped herself, stepping back with a sigh.

"Get some rest, Elliot," she said, her professional mask slipping back into place. "We have a long day ahead of us."

Elliot nodded and turned toward the door. As he stepped out into the hallway, he couldn't help but feel like they had just crossed an invisible line one they couldn't uncross.

Back in his office, Aaron paced like a caged animal, his mind racing. The walls were closing in, and he could feel them every second, every breath. His laptop screen still displayed the frozen transaction, and no amount of frantic clicking could undo it.

His phone buzzed. A single message popped up on the screen:

"Plan B is ready. Are you?"

Aaron's lips curled into a cold, humorless smirk. "You're not the only one with tricks up your sleeve, Graves."

He grabbed his coat and stormed out of his office.

"He's making his move, Elliot," the system buzzed urgently. "Stay sharp. This isn't over yet."

Elliot sat in his apartment, the glow of the city lights casting faint patterns across the walls. His phone buzzed beside him.

New Mission:

"Crush Aaron Blake."

Objective: Deliver undeniable evidence to Richard and ensure Aaron's permanent downfall.

Reward: +100 Confidence Points, Skill Unlock: Corporate Dominance.

Failure Consequence: Career Ruin.

The stakes were clear now. There was no turning back.

As Elliot leaned back into his chair, staring at the mission prompt on his phone, he felt a faint smirk tug at the corner of his lips.

"Tomorrow, Elliot," the system whispered, "You end this."

The faint hum of the city outside filled the silence as Elliot prepared himself for the final confrontation.

To Be Continued…