Chapter 6 - The Architect of Lies
The beam of a tactical flashlight cut through the darkness, blinding me instantly.
Arthur Vance stepped into the circle of light, holding a heavy suppressed pistol at his side.
His white hair was perfectly combed, but his eyes were sunken and hollowed by exhaustion.
"Arthur, put the gun down," I said, keeping my voice perfectly level.
"My father treated you like a brother."
"Your father was a visionary who left me twenty thousand dollars a year in pension dividends while you inherited half a billion," Arthur replied, his voice devoid of emotion.
"I gave my youth to this company, Claire."
"And when my family needed help, your trust fund lawyers cited fiduciary responsibility."
Daniel shrank behind me, using my smaller frame as a human shield.
"Arthur, please," Daniel whimpered.
"Vanessa promised we would all get paid."
"She’s playing you, just like she played me."
Arthur didn't even glance at Daniel.
"Vanessa didn't play me, you sniveling coward," Arthur scoffed.
"I hired Vanessa."
The words hit me like a physical blow.
"What did you say?" I whispered.
Arthur smiled sadly, lowering the flashlight slightly toward my chest.
"Who do you think introduced Vanessa Cole to the executive search committee three years ago?"
"Who do you think encouraged your foolish husband to start having drinks with her after board meetings?"
"Daniel thought he was a dashing romantic seducing a brilliant female executive."
"In reality, he was an illiterate child handing over nuclear launch codes because a pretty woman smiled at him."
Daniel let out a pathetic, choked gasp from behind my shoulder.
"You planned this?" Daniel breathed, his world shattering piece by piece.
"From the day your father died in that hospital room," Arthur said, taking a step closer.
"Whitmore Dynamics was meant to be mine."
"The technology, the patents, the government contracts—I built them while your father played philanthropist in the Hamptons."
"And now, Vanessa is upstairs finishing the final data transfer."
"By sunrise, the proprietary source code will belong to a sovereign wealth fund in Dubai."
"And what happens to us, Arthur?" I asked, slipping my hand subtly into my coat pocket.
"A tragic industrial accident," Arthur replied calmly.
"An electrical fire in the mainframe room."
"A scorned wife confronts her cheating husband and his co-conspirators, leading to a fatal explosion."
"The media will eat it up, Claire."
"They love a good domestic tragedy."
Arthur raised the pistol and aimed it directly between my eyes.
"Goodbye, Claire."
May you like
Suddenly, the deafening scream of a building-wide fire alarm tore through the basement.
Arthur flinched, his eyes darting toward the ceiling sprinklers as high-pressure foam began pouring from the vents.
