Chapter 17 - The Unfinished Chapter
"... you don't need to steal someone else's foundation," I said into the microphone, my voice steady and commanding, echoing through the silent, packed ballroom. "You just need the courage to build your own."
The applause that followed was deafening. Standing ovations rippled through the front rows as flashbulbs strobed endlessly across the stage. I smiled, gave a polite nod of gratitude, and stepped back from the podium, letting the weighted applause wash over me like a cleansing wave.
As I descended the steps on the opposite side of the stage, Harrison was waiting in the wings with a quiet, approving nod and a crystal glass of sparkling water.
"Flawless," Harrison murmured as I reached him. "The stock market futures are already reacting positively to your speech. We're looking at another major merger acquisition by Monday morning."
"Let's take the weekend first, Harrison," I replied softly, taking a sip of the water. "Even empire builders need a moment to breathe."
"Agreed," Harrison said, stepping aside to let me pass toward the private VIP exit that led away from the crowded ballroom.
As I walked down the quiet, carpeted corridor toward the exit, my phone buzzed inside my evening clutch. It wasn't a corporate alert or a message from the legal team. It was a restricted, unknown number originating from outside the city limits.
I paused under the warm glow of a wall sconce, pulling the phone from my bag. The screen blinked silently for a moment before displaying a single, unexpected text message from a local federal penitentiary:
May you like
*Visitor request pending for inmate #84920. Marcus Vance requests an urgent five-minute conversation regarding an undisclosed asset previously unknown to federal investigators...*
I stared at the glowing words in the quiet hallway, a cold, curious smile slowly forming on my lips as the screen flickered, waiting for my response...
