Chapter 5 - THE CONFESSION IN THE RED LIGHT
Julian dragged himself up, his designer suit ruined, smeared with soot, grease, and blood. He leaned heavily against the steel desk, panting like a trapped animal.
Outside, the sound of police sirens began to wail in the distance—not local patrol cars, but federal task force cruisers coordinated by Claire Bennett using the encrypted emergency protocols back at Westbridge Tower.
"You called the Feds?" Julian stared at his brother in horror. "Are you insane? They’ll tear open every offshore account we have! They’ll investigate the entire family!"
"They won't investigate the family," Adrian said coldly, holstering his weapon as Marcus dragged the unconscious form of Viktor Vance toward the door. "They’re going to investigate you. Every shell company, every smuggled shipment, every bribe paid to the board members—it’s all tied to your digital signature, Julian. I made sure of that six months ago when I first noticed the bleeding in the accounting logs."
Julian’s face drained of what little color it had left. "You... you knew?"
"I knew you were ambitious," Adrian said, stepping closer. "I knew you resented living in my shadow. But I gave you a chance to build something clean. Instead, you decided to play gangster in a world you don't actually understand."
"You ruined me!" Julian screamed, lunging forward with a desperate, blind fury.
Adrian didn't even flinch. He sidestepped his brother's clumsy charge, caught him by the collar, and slammed him against the reinforced glass window overlooking the frozen lake.
"Look out there, Julian," Adrian whispered in his ear, pointing a finger toward the sprawling Chicago skyline visible through the blizzard. "That city respects power, but it survives on loyalty. You traded mine for a seat at a table of ghosts."
The heavy steel doors at the bottom of the stairwell blew open with a deafening crash. Heavy footsteps and shouted commands echoed up the stairwell.
"Federal agents! Nobody move!"
Marcus looked toward Adrian, giving a sharp nod. "The Feds are securing the lower level, Boss. The board members are already being detained at their homes."
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Adrian released Julian, who slid down the glass wall into a pathetic heap on the floor, sobbing quietly as the red emergency strobe light flashed relentlessly overhead.
Adrian turned his back on his brother, adjusted his cuffs, and walked out of the office without looking back.
