Celestina sat at the head of the long conference table, her desk overflowing with stacks of documents and financial reports. Her advisors and rebel leaders surrounded her, their faces grim as they poured over the records of Alvada’s secret deals.

“This can’t be right,” Celestina murmured, flipping through the pages. “How did no one know about this? These loans, these terms—he’s signed away our future.”

Aron, one of her senior advisors, leaned forward, his voice tense. “The man knew exactly what he was doing. He funneled the money into offshore accounts, funded his military, and secured his own wealth while leaving the rest of us to drown.”

Liora, who had been sitting silently in the corner, finally spoke. “If we don’t meet these payment deadlines, the foreign banks will seize control of everything. Infrastructure, resources—our entire economy will be at their mercy.”

Celestina’s fists clenched. “We need to find those hidden accounts. If we can seize them, we might have enough to cover the payments.”

“That’s assuming they haven’t already been drained,” Dimitri said, his tone cautious.

Celestina nodded, determination flickering in her eyes. “Then we’ll find out. Every asset Alvada hid, every coin he stashed away—we’ll uncover it.”

As the team worked tirelessly, news of the financial crisis began to trickle out. At first, it was whispers in the streets, but soon it spread like wildfire. Citizens who had only just begun to celebrate their freedom were now gathering in anger, demanding answers.

“Where is our money?” shouted a protester outside the palace gates, his voice amplified by a growing crowd. “What’s the new president doing about this?”

Inside, Celestina stood by the window, watching the unrest unfold. The chants grew louder, their anger palpable.

“They’re blaming me,” she said quietly, turning to Dimitri. “I’ve barely begun, and already they think I’ve failed them.”

Dimitri placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “They’re scared, Celestina. They don’t understand the full picture, and fear makes people lash out. But they’ll see the truth in time.”

“I don’t know if we have time,” she admitted, her voice cracking.

“You do,” he said firmly. “Because you’re not doing this alone. We’ll figure it out—together.”

The next day, Celestina called an emergency meeting with her economic advisors and key rebel leaders.

“We need unconventional solutions,” she said, her tone sharp. “The usual methods won’t save us. What about Alvada’s personal assets? There must be properties, accounts, something we can use.”

Liora nodded. “I’ve already started digging into that. He owned several estates overseas, along with luxury items that could be auctioned off. But it won’t be enough to cover the full debt.”

“What about the hidden accounts?” Dimitri asked.

“Still tracing them,” Liora said. “But if they exist, they’re buried deep. It’ll take time to track them down.”

Celestina slammed her hand on the table, startling the group. “Time is the one thing we don’t have! If we default, this nation will fall apart before we even begin to rebuild.”

Aron spoke up cautiously. “There is another option… but it’s risky.”

“What is it?” Celestina asked, her voice sharp.

“We could nationalize key industries,” Aron said. “Take control of the private sectors Alvada favored and use their profits to stabilize the economy. It won’t be popular with the elites, but it might buy us time.”

Celestina hesitated, weighing the consequences. “We’ll consider it. But I want every other avenue explored first. No stone left unturned.”

As the palace scrambled to address the crisis, a chilling discovery was made. One of Celestina’s inner circle, a man named Verek, was caught passing sensitive information to a foreign diplomat.

“He’s been working with the banks,” Liora said, slamming a folder onto the desk in Celestina’s office. “Leaking details of our negotiations, sabotaging our efforts.”

Celestina’s face darkened. “Bring him in.”

Minutes later, Verek was dragged into the room by two guards. He struggled against their grip, his face pale.

“Madam President, I can explain—”

“Save it,” Celestina snapped. “You betrayed your country, Verek. You betrayed me.”

“I didn’t have a choice!” he protested. “They threatened my family. If I didn’t cooperate—”

“You think that excuses what you’ve done?” Dimitri growled, stepping forward.

Celestina held up a hand to stop him, her voice cold. “Your actions have endangered everything we’ve worked for. Take him away.”

As the guards dragged him out, Celestina turned to Liora and Dimitri. “We need to tighten our circle. No one else gets close unless we trust them completely.”

That evening, as Celestina sifted through more reports, a chilling realization struck. The nation’s gold reserves, a crucial safety net in times of crisis, were unaccounted for.

“This can’t be right,” she murmured, flipping through the documents.

“What is it?” Dimitri asked, leaning over her shoulder.

“The gold,” she said, her voice hollow. “It’s gone. Alvada moved it somewhere, and no one knows where.”

Dimitri’s expression hardened. “He must have hidden it before the rebellion. Without it, we’re in even deeper trouble.”

Celestina stared at the papers, her mind racing. The missing gold wasn’t just a financial problem—it was a symbol of the corruption that had brought the nation to its knees.