Chapter 3 - The Broken Contract
The rain was pouring in sheets over Queens when Aaron’s sleek black town car pulled up to the curb of a weathered brick apartment building. He didn't care about the press. He didn't care about the IPO. For the first time in thirty-nine years, Aaron Vale wasn't thinking like a strategist. He was thinking like a man who was utterly empty, desperate for a sliver of truth.
He walked up the narrow, dimly lit stairwell, the smell of cheap cooking oil and damp carpet filling his senses. He knocked on apartment 4B.
The door swung open, and Elena stood there, holding a dish towel, her hair tied back. When she saw him, her hand moved to close the door, but Aaron jammed his expensive leather shoe in the frame.
"Five minutes, Elena. That’s all I ask," Aaron pleaded, his polished voice cracking. "I didn't send that lawyer. Richard did it behind my back to protect the firm. I would never try to buy you off. I would never try to erase her."
Elena looked at him, searching his face for the lie. Slowly, she stepped back, allowing him into the tiny, brightly lit apartment. In the corner, a small blanket fort was constructed over two chairs. A pair of small, scuffed black shoes sat by the door.
"Why did you run, Elena?" Aaron asked, his voice barely a whisper. "Seven years ago. We were planning a life together. You knew how I felt about you. Why did you leave me in the dark?"
Elena let out a bitter laugh, leaning against the kitchen counter. "Because I found out what Vale Strategic Consulting really does, Aaron. I found out about the 'Phoenix Project.'"
Aaron froze. The Phoenix Project was a highly classified corporate restructuring plan from seven years ago—one that involved hostile takeovers that deliberately bankrupt smaller manufacturing towns to inflate the stock prices of major conglomerates. It was the darkest piece of business Aaron had ever authorized, a decision he had regretted every day since.
"I found out I was pregnant the same day I found the files on your desk," Elena said, tears finally spilling over. "I realized the man I loved was willing to destroy thousands of families for a higher profit margin. How could I raise a child with someone who viewed human lives as collateral damage? I knew if I stayed, you would take her, or you would turn her into you. I chose to protect her."
Before Aaron could process the crushing weight of her words, the bathroom door opened. Iris walked out, rubbing her eyes, wearing pajamas with yellow ducks on them. She stopped when she saw Aaron.
"Mister?" she whispered, her eyes lighting up. "You found us."
Aaron dropped to his knees, ignoring the dampness of his suit against the linoleum floor. "Hi, Iris."
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"Are you here to be the daddy who carries the tables?" she asked innocently.
Elena choked back a sob, but before either adult could speak, the window at the end of the hall shattered. A heavy brick wrapped in black tape crashed onto the floor, followed by the terrifying, unmistakable smell of gasoline. A smoke bomb had been tossed into the apartment.
