Chapter 5 - The Whistleblower
"My name is Leo," the boy gasped, struggling against the cuffs. "My sister, Maya, was an investigative journalist. She was looking into the Sterling Corporation's new billion-dollar waterfront development."
Clara found a ring of keys on a nearby desk. She rushed over, trying them on the handcuffs. "The waterfront project? I wrote the press releases for that. It's a luxury eco-resort."
"It's a lie!" Leo spat. "The land was designated as a chemical dumping ground in the 80s. The Sterlings bribed the city council to forge the environmental safety reports. If they build there, the toxins will leach into the city's water supply. Maya found the original geological surveys."
The cuffs clicked open. Leo rubbed his bruised wrists.
"Last night, Maya went to confront Marcus with the evidence," Leo continued, tears streaming down his dirt-stained face. "She thought she could force them to stop. She was wearing an antique emerald necklace... an heirloom from our grandmother. Marcus killed her, took the documents, and threw her body in the river. They found her this morning. The necklace was gone."
Clara felt physically sick. The emerald she had worn for the cameras was a trophy taken from a murdered woman. Marcus wasn't just a corrupt billionaire; he was a sociopath.
The heavy steel door suddenly rattled. The guards were trying to get in.
"We can't get out that way," Clara said, her PR brain shifting into crisis mode. "Is there another exit?"
"The laundry chutes," Leo pointed to a metal hatch in the wall.
"You go," Clara ordered. "Take the chute to the loading dock. Get as far away from here as possible."
May you like
"What about you?" Leo asked.
"I am the head of PR for the Sterling Corporation," Clara said, her eyes narrowing with lethal determination. "I know how to destroy a brand. And tonight, I’m burning this one to the ground."
