Chapter 10 - The Reckoning
The legal machinery moved with devastating efficiency once Brandon Vance directed his full resources toward the truth. By sunrise, Victoria had been arrested at her downtown apartment, charged with attempted endangerment of a minor, filing a false criminal complaint, and evidence tampering. The paper trail Marcus provided linked her directly to the illegal retention of the surveillance hard drives.
Marcus surrendered himself to the district attorney’s office that same afternoon. Because of his voluntary disclosure and cooperation, Brandon’s legal team arranged for his restitution to be handled outside the criminal system, securing him a suspended sentence and a clean exit from the private security sector.
Yet inside the Vance mansion, the silence remained.
Brandon sat in his study, the blinds drawn against the afternoon sun. Across the mahogany desk sat his chief of staff, laying out the public relations statements that had been prepared to clear Elena’s name. A public apology had already been broadcast on the local evening news, accompanied by a full retraction of the previous allegations.
"We can offer her a settlement," the attorney suggested, adjusting his glasses. "A substantial trust. Enough to ensure she never has to work again. It would close the matter cleanly and protect the family from any civil liability regarding wrongful termination."
"A settlement?" Brandon looked up, his eyes bloodshot, dark hollows carved beneath his cheekbones. "You think she stayed up nights in the harbor district, tracking down security footage through illegal vaults, because she wanted a cash settlement?"
"She was an employee, Mr. Vance. People work for security."
"She jumped into eight feet of water in an apron," Brandon said, his voice cracking. "She didn't know there were cameras. She didn't know anyone was watching. She did it because she loved my son more than her own safety, and I repaid her by throwing her onto the street like a thief."
He pushed the legal papers aside, stood up, and took his car keys from the tray.
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"Where are you going, sir?"
"To the only place in this city where anyone has any decency left," Brandon answered, walking out of the study without looking back.
