Chapter 10: The Merger Ceremony
Chapter 10: The Merger Ceremony
At six o’clock, Julian entered the east ballroom alone.
Three hundred guests rose beneath a ceiling of gold and crystal.
Reporters lifted cameras.
Board members applauded.
Adrian stood onstage beside a polished table holding the merger documents.
He looked flawless.
No one in the room would have guessed that a pregnant woman was being held at gunpoint two floors above them.
Julian walked onto the stage.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Adrian announced, “tonight marks the creation of one of the world’s largest private hospitality groups.”
Applause thundered.
Julian looked across the crowd.
Camila had entered through a side door and moved toward the control room. Marcus remained in the tunnels, searching for another route to Adrian’s office.
Samuel Ward stood near the rear exit, carrying a black briefcase.
Adrian noticed him.
Their eyes met.
Adrian’s smile tightened.
A lawyer placed a pen in front of Julian.
“Once signed,” the lawyer said, “the operational transfer becomes immediate.”
Adrian leaned closer.
“Sign.”
Julian picked up the pen.
Behind Adrian, a screen displayed the logos of Rossi Holdings and Vale Meridian.
Julian imagined Elena tied to the chair.
He imagined his unborn child hearing Adrian’s voice.
Then he signed.
Adrian released a quiet breath of triumph.
The audience applauded again.
The lawyer reached for the document.
Julian kept his hand on it.
“I’m not finished.”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed.
Julian turned toward the audience.
“A merger is built on trust. Before we celebrate, I believe our shareholders deserve to know the history of the man who will lead this new organization.”
Adrian whispered, “Careful.”
Julian looked toward the control booth.
The screen behind them flickered.
Camila had reached the system.
A video appeared.
It showed Adrian transferring money into offshore accounts.
Then came construction reports, falsified inspections, and photographs from the collapsed Genoa tower.
The ballroom erupted in confusion.
Adrian reached for the microphone.
“The files are fabricated.”
Samuel stepped forward.
“Then perhaps you would like to explain this.”
A new recording played.
Peter Lang’s face appeared on the screen.
He described Adrian paying him to damage Lorenzo Rossi’s brakes.
Julian watched Adrian’s mask finally fall.
The polished executive vanished.
In his place stood a cornered criminal.
Adrian pulled a gun from beneath his jacket.
Screams tore through the ballroom.
He grabbed Julian by the collar and pressed the weapon beneath his jaw.
“Shut it down.”
Julian did not move.
“Release Elena.”
“You signed the documents.”
Julian looked toward the lawyer.
“No. I signed a decoy prepared by federal investigators.”
Sirens rose outside.
Adrian’s face twisted with rage.
“You think you won?”
May you like
He dragged Julian toward the stage exit.
“The woman upstairs has less than five minutes to live.”
