The subterranean parking garage of the Sterling Plaza was a cavern of cold, gray concrete and echoing silence. It was a place designed exclusively for the city’s elite, a secure vault where millionaires left their luxury vehicles while attending high-stakes meetings in the glass towers above.

The freight elevator groaned as it passed the twentieth floor. The only light came from the flickering fluorescent bulb overhead.

Jax didn't flinch at Victoria's sharp question. He just crossed his arms. "Julian Croft. Hedge fund manager. Sociopath. Three years ago, he engineered a hostile takeover of a tech startup called Vanguard Systems. He drained their pension funds and left the CEO to take the fall."

"I know the story," Victoria said, her eyes narrowing. "Vanguard's CEO went to federal prison. What does that have to do with you?"

"My brother was Vanguard's lead engineer," Jax said, his voice dropping an octave. "He lost everything. His house, his savings, his life. I spent the last three years working in this garage, mapping every security camera, every blind spot, and every digital backdoor in Apex Tower. Julian owns the penthouse. I’ve been waiting for a chance to get up there."

Victoria tightened her grip on the briefcase. She was locked in a metal cage with a man out for revenge. "You used my lockout to get access to the upper floors."

"I helped you," Jax corrected. "Julian wants your OmniCorp deal to fail so he can swoop in and buy the resulting dip in your stock. If you sign those papers, it ruins his liquidity. We want the same thing."

The elevator shuddered to a violent halt. The digital floor indicator read: Floor 50.