Chapter 8
The warm glow of a diner's neon sign cast a flickering pink light over the small corner booth where Leo and the waitress sat hidden.
They had managed to slip away from the rooftops and find a safe, anonymous refuge far on the other side of town.
Leo placed his smartphone on the table, turning the screen toward the waitress so she could read the breaking news article.
A local news site had just published a sensationalized story featuring a crystal-clear photo of the waitress and Leo in their restaurant uniforms.
The headline flashed in bold, accusing letters: Bistro Employees Wanted for Corporate Espionage and Extortion.
According to the article, Victoria Vance had filed an official police report claiming the pair had stolen sensitive financial files and attempted to blackmail her.
"She beat us to the punch," the waitress said, her voice dropping to a numb whisper as she stared at her own face on the screen. "She's twisting the entire narrative to make us look like the criminals."
"It's a classic defamation strategy," Leo explained, his jaw tight with suppressed fury. "Control the media narrative before the truth ever has a chance to breathe."
"If the police pick us up now, we'll be thrown in a holding cell, and that flash drive will mysteriously disappear forever," she added, realizing the grave danger of their position.
"Which means we can't go to any conventional authorities," Leo agreed, sliding the phone back into his pocket. "We have to meet my sister's contact tonight. He's an investigative journalist who operates outside the corporate media ecosystem."
Suddenly, the bell above the diner door chimed softly as a tall man in a worn leather jacket walked inside.
He scanned the room with sharp, experienced eyes, his gaze locking immediately onto their secluded corner booth.
He walked over without hesitation, sliding into the vinyl seat across from them without a word of introduction.
"You're a hard pair to find," the man said, pulling a small silver badge from his pocket and flashing it briefly. "Name's Marcus Vance—no relation to the corporate monster you're running from."
The waitress frowned, narrowing her eyes at the man with immediate suspicion. "How do we know you aren't working for her too?"
Marcus let out a dry, knowing chuckle, pulling a folded newspaper clipping from his coat and sliding it across the table.
May you like
The clipping was an investigative expose from five years ago detailing Victoria Vance's ruthless corporate takeover tactics.
"Because," Marcus said quietly, leaning forward over the table, "I've been trying to put Victoria behind bars for a decade, and you two just handed me the smoking gun."
