Trapped in a secret hotel floor, a Hollywood producer finds his dead sister's recorder and uncovers his mentor's dark studio network
👉 Previous Choice: You continued the story from Chapter 8 OR you chose Option B – Drive directly to Evelyn Zhao’s private home to confront her about Arthur’s mob ties.
I found Evelyn at a quiet diner in Glendale, far from the polished facades of Hollywood. She sat nursing a coffee, her eyes scanning the entrance as I approached.
“I saw the injunction,” she said, before I could speak. “Arthur’s going for scorched earth. Did you get anything from his penthouse?”
I slid the black leather ledger across the table. Her eyes widened, tracing the meticulous entries. “Damon Cross. I knew he was skimming, but this much? He’s a dead man walking.”
“The police… they won’t touch Floor 0, will they?” I asked, a bitter taste in my mouth.
Evelyn shook her head slowly. “They can’t. The Westwood Paragon isn’t just a studio hotel. The building’s legal title is held by a network of front companies. All managed by Damon Cross’s syndicate. They effectively own the place.”
My fist tightened under the table. “So, Arthur is untouchable?”
“By law enforcement? Yes. By the Syndicate?” She offered a grim smile. “Damon Cross has a very particular way of handling people who steal $2,400,000 from his coffers. It’s quiet. Efficient. And final.”
She pulled a small, encrypted burner phone from her pocket and slid it across to me. “This has Cross’s meeting location. He’s not a man you call; you arrange. Use it when you’re ready. But understand, Julian, once you go this route, there’s no turning back.”
➡️ Read Chapter 12 to continue the story
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