Chapter 8: The Price of Silence
By dawn, the media was saturated with breaking news: *Billionaire Victor Vance Missing Following Bizarre Breakdown at Shareholder Summit; Board Prepares to Name Beatrice Sterling Interim CEO.*
Victor knew how the game was played. Beatrice was consolidating power, portraying him as mentally unstable to discredit anything he might reveal. If he walked into the police precinct, he would be detained, the evidence would be seized by compromised officials, and the planned fire in the East District would proceed unchecked.
He needed a secure broadcast hub that Beatrice couldn't cut off.
Leaving the boys under the care of Marcus, a retired factory foreman and Michael’s former union steward who lived above the clock tower, Victor prepared to leave.
"You can't go alone," Leo insisted, blocking the door. "My dad went back into that building alone, and he never came home."
Victor knelt before the young boy, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Your father went back in to save me, Leo. He gave me a second chance at life, and I wasted twelve years of it hiding behind glass towers and boardrooms. It's my turn to protect his family."
Leo looked at him, searching his face for any hint of deceit, before finally stepping aside. "Promise me you’ll come back."
"I promise," Victor said. He handed Leo an encrypted transponder. "If I am not back by six o'clock, press this button. Marcus will take you directly to the Federal District Attorney outside the city."
May you like
Victor stepped out into the morning fog, a man with nothing left to lose.
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