Chapter 10 - The New Normal
Three months later.
The media storm had passed, leaving a radically altered landscape in its wake. Richard Vance was indicted on federal bribery charges. Apex Capital's stock crashed, allowing Horizon Dynamics to acquire the Seattle port for a fraction of our original bid. My board of directors was purged of dissenters and rebuilt with loyalists.
I was no longer a ghost. My face had graced the cover of Time and Forbes. The public had crowned me a ruthless, brilliant tactician who took down corrupt old money. I received thousands of letters a day, mostly from people thanking me for putting Julian Vance in his place.
But despite the victory, the spotlight was exhausting.
It was a Tuesday afternoon. The negotiations for a new European expansion had just wrapped up. My head was pounding. All I wanted was coffee and fifteen minutes of silence.
I took the private elevator down to the underground garage. My security detail—two ex-Special Forces men I had reluctantly hired—waited by the armored SUV.
"I'm driving myself today," I told them, tossing my briefcase into the back.
They nodded, knowing better than to argue, but followed at a discrete distance in a tail car. It was a compromise. I couldn't be entirely invisible anymore, but I could still dictate the terms of my visibility.
I pulled the Aston Martin up to the exit gates. The same elderly attendant was in the booth. When he saw my car, his face lit up with a massive smile.
"Mr. Thorne! Good to see you, sir," he said, pressing the button to raise the barrier without asking for the toll.
"Good to see you, Arthur," I replied, rolling down the window. I handed him an envelope. "For your grandson's college fund. Don't argue with me, just take it."
Arthur looked at the thick envelope, tears welling in his eyes. "Thank you, sir. Truly."
"Have a good afternoon, Arthur."
I rolled the window up and drove out into the overcast Seattle afternoon. The rain began to fall, drumming a comforting rhythm against the windshield. I reached over to the passenger seat and pulled on a faded gray crewneck sweater over my dress shirt.
May you like
The world might know my name now. They might know the monster I could become when threatened. But underneath the bespoke suits and the ruthless reputation, I was exactly the same. Just a man who valued his peace and quiet.
And heaven help anyone who tried to interrupt it again.
