Chapter 22 - Shadows in the Gallery
Across the river in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, inside a dimly lit, exclusive private art gallery, Julian Vance swirled a glass of vintage scotch, his eyes fixed on a modern abstract painting that looked like a jagged explosion of red and black.
Beside him stood a man half his age, wearing an immaculate bespoke suit and a shark-like grin—Marcus Thorne, a ruthless corporate raider known for executing hostile takeovers through offshore shell companies.
"You’re letting a pregnant woman and a collection of old trust lawyers beat you, Julian?" Marcus mocked lightly, taking a sip of his drink. "I thought Vance & Sterling didn't know the meaning of defeat."
Vance didn't smile. His gaze remained cold, fixed on the canvas. "Emily Hartwell isn't just any opponent. She holds the cryptographic keys to eighty percent of the automated routing architecture used by major Wall Street clearing houses. As long as she controls that core IP, our syndicate cannot break into the financial tech sector."
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"Then we don't break in through the front door," Marcus purred, stepping closer. "Every fortress has a weak point in its supply chain. We don't target Emily. We target the board members who appointed her. All it takes is one compromised vote to trigger a mandatory leadership review."
Vance turned his head slowly, a dangerous, calculating smirk finally touching his lips. "Show me what you have, Marcus. Let's see how long her moral high ground holds when the foundation starts to crack."
