Part 7: The Duplicate Ledger
Marcus pushed past Mrs. Gable and strode down the private corridor toward the front lobby, Julian trailing closely behind. Vale Tower's ground floor was a cathedral of glass and polished granite, usually patrolled by private security and filled with executives in tailored suits.
Today, it was dead silent.
Standing right in the center of the grand lobby, staring up at the towering bronze statue of Marcus Vale that dominated the atrium, was Kai.
He wasn't wearing his frayed jacket anymore. Instead, he wore a simple, clean black hoodie, and his bare feet were planted firmly on the pristine marble floor. He didn't look like a stray street kid anymore; there was an unmistakable aura of quiet authority about him, as if he owned the building from foundation to spire.
Security guards stood in a semi-circle around him, their hands twitching near their belts, too terrified to approach him after what had happened at the hotel rooftop the night before.
"Let him be," Marcus called out, walking briskly across the marble. The guards immediately stepped back, clearing a path.
Marcus stopped a few feet away from the boy. Up close, in the harsh morning light, he could see the fading bruise on Kai's cheek—a souvenir of the rough streets he called home.
"You came back," Marcus said, his voice surprisingly gentle.
"I didn't come back for you," Kai said, his amber eyes locking onto Marcus with an unreadable intensity. "I came back for my grandfather's ledger. The original one. The one your lawyers forgot to shred when they burned the basement office."
Marcus froze. He hadn't mentioned the original ledger to anyone—not even Julian.
"How did you know about that?" Marcus asked.
"Because my mother told me before she died," Kai said, stepping forward. "She said my grandfather kept a duplicate logbook in his locker, detailing every single warning he gave your company about the foundation cracks six months before the collapse. Every time he told you the building wasn't safe, you told him to shut up and keep working. That book is the only reason the truth survived."
Marcus looked at the boy, then turned back to Julian, who was standing near the entrance of the hallway, his face draining of all color.
"Julian," Marcus said softly. "Where is the duplicate ledger?"
"Marcus, don't listen to him—"
"Where is it?!" Marcus roared, the sound echoing off the granite walls of the lobby with terrifying force.
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Julian swallowed hard, realizing the game was up. He reached into his leather portfolio, pulled out a thick, leather-bound notebook with water-damaged edges and yellowed pages, and tossed it onto the marble floor between them. It skidded across the smooth stone and stopped right at Kai's bare feet.
Kai knelt down, picked up the book, and ran his fingers over the worn leather cover. A quiet sigh escaped his lips, as if a heavy weight he had carried his entire life had finally been lifted from his shoulders.
