Chapter 26 - THE PRISON YARD CONFRONTATIONThe backlash from Mara’s transparent press conference was immediate and overwhelming. Public support for the Vale-Harrison Foundation surged to unprecedented heights, while Roman’s attempted smear campaign was widely condemned across financial and legal circles as a desperate, pathetic stunt by a disgraced criminal.
Inside the federal penitentiary, Roman’s cell block had become a hostile environment. The inmates who had once treated him with cautious respect now viewed him as a washed-up loser whose petty games had failed spectacularly.
During the afternoon yard hour, Roman walked alone near the perimeter chain-link fence, the bitter wind whipping his thin orange jumpsuit against his frame.
"Looking for another legal miracle, Vale?" a cold voice mocked from behind.
Roman turned to find Viktor Kane standing there with two other hardened inmates flanking him. Viktor’s expression was no longer amused; it was dangerous, calculating, and predatory.
"Your little stunt cost my outside associates a lot of money, Roman," Viktor said, stepping closer. "You promised us leverage. You promised us a way to break her foundation’s financial defenses. Instead, you made us look like fools."
"I didn't know she would preempt the leak," Roman stammered, stepping back until his back hit the cold chain-link fence. "She... she anticipated every move I made. She always does."
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"Well, your incompetence has a price," Viktor snarled, signaling his associates to block the view from the guard tower. "Since you can't deliver on your promises, maybe we collect our debt in other ways."
Before Roman could cry out, a heavy fist struck him square in the jaw, sending him crashing down onto the gravel. Pain exploded across his face, followed by a flurry of brutal kicks and strikes. As the world spun into darkness, the final, echoing thought in Roman’s mind wasn't about his lost wealth, his fallen empire, or his prison sentence—it was the haunting memory of Mara’s voice in the courtroom: You received every call.
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