Chapter 10 - The Veritas Proposal
The hum of the underground parking garage ventilation fans provided a low, industrial soundtrack to the tense silence between them.
Jonathan Cross rested his hands lightly on the polished surface of Clara’s car hood, ignoring the leather binder resting beneath his fingertips. He looked at Evelyn not with hostility, but with the cool, appraising gaze of a collector evaluating an expensive piece of art he wished to acquire.
“An offer?” Evelyn repeated, her tone dripping with quiet skepticism. “From the man who framed me for a crime I didn't commit and stole my family’s legacy?”
“Business is entirely devoid of personal emotion, Evelyn—a lesson your father refused to learn,” Cross replied smoothly. “The federal audit you mentioned? It can be redirected, delayed, or buried under three layers of jurisdictional red tape before the sun rises tomorrow. Michael and Rachel can be indicted for the entire fraud, taking the full fall as rogue operators.”
Clara frowned, stepping slightly forward. “And what’s the catch? You don't hand out get-out-of-jail-free cards to people who hold your master agreements.”
Cross turned his cold blue gaze toward Clara before looking back at Evelyn. “The catch is simple. Veritas Holdings requires a managing partner with your specific architectural genius and corporate ruthlessness to oversee the multi-state expansion of our infrastructure division. You sign over the remaining patent rights to your structural designs, accept a seat on our executive board under a strict non-disclosure agreement, and publicly exonerate Lane Design from any structural liabilities.”
Evelyn stared at him, her mind racing. He wasn't just offering her a way out; he was offering her the keys to his entire empire, wrapped in a golden leash designed to keep her permanently neutralized under his thumb.
“And if I refuse?” Evelyn asked softly.
Cross smiled, a cold, expressionless movement of his mouth. “Then this parking garage becomes your final resting place. The official report will state that two escaped felons died in a botched carjacking attempt while trying to flee the state with stolen corporate documents. The case will be closed by noon.”
The armed mercenaries shifted their weight, their fingers tightening imperceptibly around the triggers of their weapons. Clara held her breath, looking sideways at Evelyn, waiting for her to break.
Evelyn slowly reached out her hand, her fingers brushing the edge of the leather binder containing the Veritas Master Agreement.
“You think you’ve won, Jonathan,” Evelyn said, her voice dropping into a quiet, chilling register. “You think you can buy my silence with a seat at your table.”
“It’s a very comfortable seat,” Cross noted, his eyes narrowing.
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“It’s a trap,” Evelyn replied.
Before Cross could react, Evelyn didn't pick up the binder—she slammed her fist down onto the car’s hood, triggering the loud, piercing shriek of the vehicle’s panic alarm. At the exact same second, the overhead garage lights flickered violently and died, plunging the entire level into pitch-black darkness.
