Chapter 7 - Unmasking the Traitor
"Charles," I said, my voice steady, masking the fury boiling beneath my skin. "I see age hasn't mellowed your penchant for theatrical midnight meetings."
Charles Vance smiled thinly, stepping down the metal staircase with measured, deliberate strides. "And I see wealth hasn't dulled your arrogance, Nathan. You always thought you could build an empire from nothing and keep it entirely out of my reach. But you made one fatal flaw: you left your genetic legacy sitting in a medical vault."
I shifted my gaze to Richard Sterling, who stood nervously beside Charles, clutching a leather briefcase. "Richard. Ten years of loyalty, millions in stock options, a seat at my executive table—and you sold us out to Charles for a piece of the pie?"
Richard swallowed hard, avoiding my eyes. "It's not personal, Nathan. Charles offered a controlling stake in the upcoming logistics merger. With your health history, the board was already looking toward succession. I just... accelerated the timeline."
"You accelerated a plot that put an innocent newborn baby in a trash bag behind my wall," I snarled, stepping forward.
"The baby was a loose end," Charles replied coldly. "Victoria foolishly defied me. She smuggled your preserved genetic material out of the Boston clinic five months ago, carried the child to term in secret, and then tried to double-cross us by leaving the infant where you would find him. She thought her maternal instincts could beat my family's influence. But Victoria is currently safely detained in a private wellness retreat upstate, and her little experiment is about to be permanently resolved."
"You underestimate how many people know the truth, Charles," I said calmly, tapping the hidden transmitter on my lapel. "Agent Jenkins from child welfare has already secured the official DNA match. Furthermore, my head of security is currently streaming this entire conversation to federal authorities."
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Charles's smile faltered for a fraction of a second, his eyes narrowing in calculation. "You brought the feds into this?"
"I didn't have to," a familiar voice echoed from the shadowy entrance behind the shipping containers. "They were already watching you, Mr. Vance."
