Chapter 15 - The Grand Illusion"You think you’ve won?" Alexander sneered, his eyes wildly shifting to a digital clock ticking on the wall. "Look at the time, Julian! It’s 12:01 AM! In three minutes, my automated server in Zurich will broadcast a deepfake video of you committing high treason to every major news network and federal agency in America! You will be a hunted man for the rest of your life!"
Julian didn't panic. He pulled out his satellite phone and placed it on the desk.
"Call off the server, Alexander," Julian commanded softly.
"I can't!" Alexander laughed maniacally. "It’s an automated dead-man switch! Once activated, it can only be aborted by my personal thumbprint scanner on the Zurich mainframe... three hundred miles away!"
Maria looked at Julian, her brow furrowing in concern. "Julian, if that video leaks, federal marshals will seize Vance Global assets instantly."
Julian simply looked down at his watch.
3... 2... 1.
The clock on the wall chimed 12:02 AM.
Alexander stared at his laptop screen, waiting for the global news explosion. But nothing happened. The news sites remained quiet. Instead, a message flashed across his screen: FILE ERASED BY SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR.
Alexander’s jaw dropped. "What?! How?! The Zurich server is encrypted with military-grade keys!"
Julian leaned over the desk, his dark eyes brimming with cold satisfaction.
"You forgot one detail, Alexander," Julian whispered. "Ten years ago, who funded the construction of the Zurich tech facility?"
Alexander paled. "No..."
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"I built that server bank," Julian said smoothly. "I built the backdoors. I let you use it for three years so I could monitor every shadow transaction you ever made. I was just waiting for you to gather all your corrupt investors into one database so I could destroy you all at once."
Alexander stared at his brother in utter shock, realizing the horrifying truth: he had been playing in Julian's sandbox the entire time.
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