Chapter 8: The Lion's Den
Chapter 8: The Lion's Den
The Sterling Global Gala was a blinding spectacle of wealth and excess, held in the grand ballroom of the city’s most exclusive hotel. Security was tighter than a presidential motorcade, but Julian knew the building’s blueprints intimately. Using forged catering credentials provided by his hacker contacts, they slipped through the service elevators, blending into the frantic background of the event.
From the catwalk above the ballroom, Elara watched Arthur take the stage. He looked older, yet his posture was straight, his charisma masking the monster beneath. He gripped the podium, smiling at the hundreds of investors, politicians, and media personnel.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Arthur’s voice boomed over the microphone. "Tonight, we celebrate the future of Sterling Global. Though my son, Julian, and my prospective daughter-in-law cannot be here tonight due to unforeseen health struggles, the legacy of this company remains unbroken..."
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"Now," Julian whispered through the earpiece.
Elara plugged the final drive into the catwalk's main server box. The giant screens behind Arthur, meant to display the quarterly profits, violently glitched. The soothing corporate music cut out, replaced by a deafening, high-pitched feedback loop that made the audience cover their ears.
