Chapter 11: A Race Against Time
Chapter 11: A Race Against Time
Julian burst into the office just as Victor was raising his hand to press the final confirmation key on his satellite terminal.
"Step away from the console, Victor!" Julian commanded, closing the distance between them in two swift strides.
Victor lunged forward to press the button, but Julian tackled him across the broad mahogany desk. The satellite terminal clattered onto the hardwood floor, its screen flashing a yellow warning light: TRANSMISSION PENDING.
Victor, driven by pure desperate panic, fought back with surprising aggression, grabbing a heavy crystal paperweight from his desk and swinging it wildly. Julian ducked, the glass shattering against the wall behind him.
"You're destroying your own family!" Victor screamed, his eyes wild with rage as he tried to scramble toward the dropped terminal.
"You destroyed this family the day you turned our legacy into a criminal empire!" Julian countered, wrestling Victor’s arms behind his back and pinning him against the floorboards just as three federal agents surged into the room with weapons drawn.
"Federal agents! Don't move!" an agent barked, moving in to handcuff Victor.
As the heavy steel handcuffs clicked around Victor's wrists, the satellite terminal on the floor continued to beep ominously: 30 SECONDS TO DATA PURGE.
Clara rushed over, dropping to her knees beside the device. "The terminal is requesting a secondary cancellation biometric signature!"
"Julian, use your father's legacy thumbprint format!" Evelyn called out from the doorway. "The master core still recognizes the founder's bloodline encryption!"
Julian knelt beside Clara, pressing his thumb firmly onto the glowing red scanner of the terminal.
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[SYSTEM SCANNING...]
BIOMETRIC MATCH CONFIRMED: VANCE LEAGCY - JULIAN VANCE
COMMAND CANCELLED.
DATA PRESERVED.
The terminal screen turned a calm blue, displaying the words: SYSTEM SECURED.
Julian exhaled a deep breath he felt like he had been holding for days. He turned to Clara, pulling her into his arms on the floor of the corner office as federal agents escorted a shouting, disgraced Victor Vance out of the building in full view of his former employees.
