On the giant display, the digital cursor moved in real-time. It slowly highlighted a pending wire transfer. The amount was clearly visible in massive, bold, unforgiving text: $200,000.00. The source of the funds was my personal wedding-gift account. The destination account was listed under ‘Apex Holdings Ltd.’, a known offshore shell company.
“The newest, most desperate transfer,” Sarah explained into the microphone, her voice echoing ominously, “was scheduled to execute tonight, right at this very moment, precisely after the cash wedding gifts were expected to be deposited into the joint account.”
I looked directly at Brooks. He was frozen stiff, a deer caught in blinding headlights, his hands nervously shoved completely out of sight beneath the wet silk tablecloth.
“Brooks,” I said, my voice eerily calm, cutting through the murmurs of the crowd. “Take your hands out from under the table. Now.”
He didn’t move. A bead of cold sweat rolled down his temple.
“I said, take your damn phone out, Brooks,” I commanded, my voice cracking like a whip.
Slowly, shakily, as if moving underwater, he pulled his trembling hands up. He was clutching his smartphone tightly, the screen glowing brightly in the dim room.
The very second his phone cleared the table, a massive red prompt suddenly flashed over the banking interface on the giant LED display behind us: AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED. TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION SENT. PRESS CONFIRM ON MOBILE DEVICE.
Brooks stared down at his phone in absolute horror, then looked up at the giant screen, then looked out at the two hundred high-society guests who were watching him. He had been caught dead to rights. His thumb was literally hovering over the ‘Confirm’ button to steal my money while his mother had been busy trying to physically lock me in the room to ensure the theft went through undisturbed.
Before he could even process the trap he was in, the banking system timed out.
The giant screen flashed a brilliant, blinding, unforgiving crimson. The massive letters pulsed rhythmically with the beat of a warning alarm through the speakers: DENIED – FRAUD DETECTED. ALL ACCOUNTS FROZEN PENDING INVESTIGATION.
Brooks dropped his phone as if the metal casing had suddenly turned to molten lava. It clattered loudly onto his empty dinner plate.
Carter completely lost his mind. He lunged across the dance floor at his brother, grabbing Brooks fiercely by the lapels of his tuxedo. “You absolute moron! You tried to authorize it from the main server on hotel Wi-Fi? I told you to use the VPN!”