Chapter 6 - Scorched Earth
The attempted kidnapping was the final straw. It was no longer just a corporate battle; it was a fight for our lives.
The next morning, I called a press conference. Every major news outlet crammed into the Vance Tech atrium. The flashbulbs blinded me as I stepped to the podium, but my resolve was absolute.
“For ten years, Vance Tech has been a pioneer in innovation,” I began, gripping the edges of the podium. “But the foundation of this company is rotten.”
A murmur ripped through the crowd. CEOs didn't tank their own companies on live television.
“My father, Arthur Vance, has utilized company resources to engage in a campaign of terror against my family. Last night, he sent armed mercenaries to my home to abduct my infant children.”
The room erupted. Reporters shouted over one another, cameras flashing furiously.
“I am stepping down as CEO of Vance Tech, effective immediately,” I announced over the din. “I will be fully cooperating with the federal authorities to dismantle the corrupt infrastructure my father built. I will not sacrifice my humanity for a profit margin ever again.”
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I walked off the stage, leaving a media firestorm in my wake. My phone vibrated endlessly—angry board members, panicked investors. I turned it off and dropped it into a trash can on my way to the elevator.
For the first time in a decade, I was unemployed. And I had never felt so free.
