Chapter 28 - The Final Ledger
Julian Vance turned to look at my father, his expression devoid of empathy. “Justice is a luxury for people who don't run empires, Arthur. Men like you build the walls, and men like me decide who gets to live inside them. You thought you could stop the machine from the inside, and look where it got you—hiding in a beach house with armed bodyguards.”
Before my father could reply, I stepped directly between them, closing the distance until I was inches from Julian’s face.
“You talk about empires, Julian,” I said softly, my voice carrying a quiet, lethal intensity that made him instinctively take a half-step back. “You think power comes from bank accounts, executive orders, and private security militias. But you’re wrong.”
I reached into my pocket, pulled out the lead-lined microchip David Vance had given us at Lake Tahoe, and tossed it carelessly onto the table beside his leather folder.
“Power belongs to the people who aren't afraid to burn your empire to the ground just to see the sun rise again,” I continued. “We don't negotiate with architects of corruption.”
Julian stared at the microchip, his composure finally cracking as a flicker of genuine panic crossed his eyes. “You... you have the Chimera architecture keys? I thought we scrubbed that node!”
“You missed a spot,” Ethan grinned from the doorway, resting his hand on his rifle.
Judge Harrison stepped forward, picking up Julian’s leather folder and tossing it deliberately into the wastebasket by the fireplace. “Your terms are rejected, Mr. Vance. The tribunal will hear your case in full public view, starting tomorrow morning.”
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Julian Vance stood in absolute silence for three seconds, his jaw clenched tightly, before a bitter, hollow laugh escaped his lips. “You think you’ve won, Avery. But the machine doesn't die with me.”
“Maybe not,” I replied, walking over and pulling the front door wide open. “But today, you get to watch it break.”
