Chapter 11
Arthur saw the opening and stepped forward, raising his hand to address the board as a credentialed member of the press. Chairperson Vance hesitated, recognizing the journalist who had broken the story, and nodded curtly, granting him two minutes at the podium. Arthur walked down the aisle carrying his portable monitor, connecting it directly to the chamber's central digital display system with a heavy black cable. Within seconds, the high-definition footage from the gallery played across the massive screens mounted above the city officials' heads.
The video showed every frame of the incident in crystal clarity: Evelyn’s calculated approach, the deliberate pivot of her arm, the shocking impact, and Leo’s devastating reaction. But Arthur didn't stop there. He advanced the footage to show subsequent financial records and internal email correspondence between Julian and corporate donors, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that the gallery had actively plotted to rezone the upcoming youth showcase space to accommodate a commercial sponsor.
"The issue isn't just one curator's temper," Arthur said into the microphone, his voice calm, authoritative, and entirely unshakeable. "The issue is a systemic culture of erasure. When institutions prioritize profit over people, they inevitably try to destroy anything real that grows in their shadow. But as you can see, the record is permanent."
Julian sprang to his feet, his face flushed with panic. "Objection! This is a smear campaign! That footage was obtained without institutional authorization!"
"It was captured in a public gallery during public operating hours," Arthur countered smoothly, turning to face Julian directly. "And it exposes fraud and malicious property destruction. You don't get to hide behind copyright law when you're caught breaking the law."
May you like
The chamber fell into a stunned, absolute silence. Chairperson Vance stared up at the massive screen, where the paused frame clearly showed Evelyn’s malicious micro-expression just before the crash. The undeniable visual proof made any bureaucratic defense completely impossible. The board members huddled together in a hurried, panicked whisper, realizing that any attempt to cover up the scandal would result in immediate public outrage and massive legal liability for the city.
Leo watched the screen from his seat, his small hand resting securely on the wooden crate holding his clay tree. He didn't feel small anymore. He realized that his art wasn't fragile at all—it was the catalyst that had forced an entire system to look in the mirror and face its own reflection.
