flash
The silence in the room stretched thin, like a wire pulled to its breaking point. / Chapter 13 / 30

Chapter 13 - The Press ConferenceThe grand ballroom of the Beverly Hills Plaza Hotel was packed to capacity. Flashbulbs popped blindingly as reporters shoved microphones toward the elevated stage.

At the center of the stage stood Victor Vance-Sterling, flanked by high-priced legal counsel. He looked smug, adjusting his silk tie as he tapped the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the press," Victor began, his voice booming through the auditorium speakers. "Today, I am filing a multi-billion-dollar lawsuit and injunction against Vance Global Holdings and its illegitimate chairwoman, Elena Vance. The entire foundation of their empire was built on stolen inheritance, fraudulent trust documents, and systemic corporate manipulation."

A murmur swept through the press corps. Cameras whirred furiously.

From the back of the room, I walked down the center aisle, flanked by Marcus and a team of corporate attorneys. The crowd parted instantly, the whispers dying down as I climbed the steps to the stage.

Victor’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second, but he quickly recovered, sneering into his mic. "Ah, look who decided to show up. The queen of paper fraud herself. Do you have any defense to offer before the federal injunction is processed?"

I stopped right in front of him, looking calmly into the live broadcast cameras streaming to millions of viewers worldwide.

"You talk a lot about fraudulent trust documents, Victor," I said, my voice carrying clear and steady across the silent hall. "It’s fascinating how an expert in corporate espionage knows so much about forgery—especially when your own offshore accounts in the Caymans were established using stolen identities."

Victor’s face turned pale. "That’s a baseless lie! Sue her for defamation!"

"Is it a lie?" I turned to Marcus, who opened a secure laptop connected to the main projection screen behind us.

BAM.

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The heavy mahogany door of the dressing room seemed to close in on us, trapping the suffocating tension inside. Richard’s hands were shaking as he clutched the small, tarnished silver pendant. His knuckles were bone-white.

The heavy mahogany door of the dressing room seemed to close in on us, t...

The heavy silver fork slipped from my fingers, clattering sharply against the gold-rimmed porcelain of my dinner plate.

The heavy silver fork slipped from my fingers, clattering sharply agains...

The heavy mahogany door of the Fairmont Copley suite clicked shut with a muffled, expensive thud.

The heavy mahogany door of the Fairmont Copley suite clicked shut with a...

The projector flashed a live, unredacted financial audit of Victor’s offshore holding accounts, complete with transaction logs, IP addresses, and digital signatures matching Victor’s personal private key.

And right beneath it was a recorded audio file of Victor speaking to Julian Thorne, plotting the exact corporate sabotage Victor had just denied.

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