Chapter 12 - A Turn of the Wheel
Sirens wailed in the streets below, their blue and red lights painting the towering glass windows of the penthouse floor.
Marcus Vane looked at the flashing lights, then at the media cameras broadcasting his downfall to every financial network in the hemisphere. He didn't scream; he didn't run. Men like Vane knew that panicked outbursts only destroyed the lingering leverage they possessed.
Instead, he slowly set his champagne glass down on the podium, smoothed the lapels of his tuxedo, and looked down at Julian.
""You think you’ve won, boy?"" Vane whispered softly, leaning over the brass railing so only the family could hear. ""You think a few flashing lights and a meddling maid change the structure of this city? I own the judges who will sign my warrant. I own the precinct captains who will process my file. By tomorrow morning, this will be spun as a family tragedy and a rogue security contractor.""
""Not this time, Marcus,"" Julian said, pulling his phone from his pocket. ""Because while Sofia was saving my life in the laundry chute, she managed to secure your enforcer’s unencrypted tablet.""
Julian tapped the screen, and the massive projector screens behind the stage flickered to life.
Instead of corporate logos, the screens displayed a complete ledger of offshore shell companies, wire transfers to city officials, and encrypted audio recordings detailing the planned hits on three rival board members—including Julian.
Vane’s breath hitched. His eyes widened as he realized the sheer scale of the breach. Sofia had grabbed the enforcer's tactical bag from the floor when she shattered the glass corridor on level eight, thinking it contained first aid supplies. It contained the syndicate’s master drive.
""You're done, Marcus,"" Arthur said, as four armed federal marshals in tactical vests strode into the ballroom, bypassing the city police entirely.
""Marcus Vane, you are under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, corporate espionage, and federal racketeering,"" the lead marshal declared, stepping onto the stage and clamping heavy steel cuffs around Vane’s wrists.
As they led him away, Vane paused beside Sofia. His face was devoid of color, his jaw clenched so hard the muscles jumped beneath the skin.
""You,"" he hissed under his breath, his eyes boring into hers. ""You threw away your quiet life for a billionaire who will forget your name by Tuesday.""
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Sofia looked him dead in the eye, her posture straight, her chin raised high.
""My name is Sofia Reyes,"" she said clearly. ""And you will never forget it.""
