Chapter 16 - The Final ConfessionThe following evening, inside the high-security holding facility downtown, I sat across a thick glass partition from Daniel. The room smelled of bleach and cheap disinfectant.
Daniel looked defeated, his tactical vest gone, replaced by an inmate's orange jumpsuit. He stared at the stainless-steel table, refusing to meet my eyes.
"Why, Daniel?" I broke the silence, my voice low and steady. "Out of everyone, I gave you my absolute trust. Why sell me out to Martin?"
Daniel let out a hollow, bitter laugh, finally lifting his head. His eyes were bloodshot and filled with deep, festering resentment. "Because you made it look so easy, Arthur. You walked into every room like you owned the air we breathed. You handed out success like it was pocket change, while the rest of us clawed our way through the mud just to stay relevant. Martin didn't just offer money... he offered a chance to finally be the one holding the strings."
"And look where those strings led you," I replied softly. "Straight into a prison cell with a twelve-year federal sentence waiting for you."
Daniel swallowed hard, his bravado finally crumbling into dust. "She's still out there, you know."
May you like
I narrowed my eyes slightly. "Who?"
"Vanessa’s sister," Daniel whispered, leaning closer to the glass. "You thought you caught every rat on the ship, Arthur. But you forgot that families like theirs run deeper than corporate boardrooms. The real storm... hasn't even hit yet."
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