Chapter 6 - The Gathering Storm
Dawn broke over the city, painting the sky in pale shades of amber and bruised violet. The Grand Regent Hotel was beginning to stir with early morning activity, housekeeping staff prepping carts, chefs firing up the grand kitchens for breakfast service, and conference organizers setting up for the second day of the corporate gala.
Inside Suite 904, Ethan Vance stood fully dressed in a sharp, tailored charcoal suit he had kept packed in his garment bag—a suit intended for formal business meetings that now served as armor for a battlefield.
Lily was still sleeping peacefully, looked after by Lupita, who had brewed a warm cup of herbal tea and promised to watch over the little girl while her father handled business downstairs.
"Are you sure about this, Mr. Vance?" Lupita asked, her eyes filled with concern as Ethan pocketed the encrypted flash drive and zipped the journal into his inner coat pocket. "The board members are already arriving for the morning executive breakfast in the sapphire dining hall. Viktor is back on security detail today. If they realize you have the evidence..."
"Let them try to stop me," Ethan said calmly, adjusting his cuffs. "This hotel bears my family's name. For three years, thieves and murderers have used it as a cover for their crimes while hiding behind corporate bureaucracy. Today, the Grand Regent reclaims its soul."
Ethan walked out of Suite 904 and pressed the private elevator button leading directly to the executive sub-level and the Sapphire Dining Hall.
The elevator doors slid open smoothly. Ethan stepped inside, inserted his master owner keycard into the override slot, and dialed the top-floor executive suite floor where the board of directors held their private pre-gala meetings.
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As the elevator ascended, Ethan pulled out his smartphone and dialed a direct number he hadn't used in years—his family’s corporate legal counsel, Arthur Pendelton, paired simultaneously with the federal economic crimes division task force line.
"Arthur," Ethan said when the phone answered on the second ring. "Get down to the Grand Regent Hotel immediately. Bring federal marshals and warrant papers for corporate embezzlement, racketeering, and criminal negligence. I have all the proof right here in my hand."
