Chapter 14 - Epilogue of Iron and AshThree weeks later, the federal court delivered its final, definitive verdict on the Vance Corporation conspiracy.
Julian Vance was convicted of corporate espionage, conspiracy to commit murder, racketeering, and domestic terrorism. Because he was legally registered as deceased under his old identity, the court ruled that he had no legal existence to claim any inheritance or assets, effectively wiping him from history a second time—only this time, inside a maximum-security federal penitentiary where he would spend the rest of his natural life.
The media frenzy reached biblical proportions. Documentaries, investigative reports, and bestselling books were rushed to print, analyzing the chilling genius of Arthur Vance—a man who played dead, exposed his enemies, and dismantled a multi-million-dollar conspiracy from the inside out.
Back in the fifty-third-floor penthouse, the broken glass had been replaced, the bullet holes patched, and the grand office restored to its pristine, untouchable glory.
Arthur stood by the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, holding a crystal glass of scotch. The city lights sparkled endlessly beneath him, vast, obedient, and entirely under his control.
His secretary stepped into the room quietly.
— Mr. Vance, the global stakeholders' meeting is ready to begin. Shall I let them in?
May you like
Arthur took a slow sip of his drink, his reflection staring back at him in the clear glass—unbroken, unyielding, and absolute.
— Let them in, — Arthur said, turning away from the window with a quiet, triumphant smile. — The king has returned to his throne, and the kingdom is finally clean.
