Chapter 5 - The Sabotage Attempt
The sunshine outside the Riverglass entrance was harsh and direct. A local television news van was parked at the curb, its broadcast mast extended high into the air. A reporter held a microphone toward Marcus Vance, who stood on the wide stone steps looking stern and righteous.
Lauren and Caleb walked through the glass doors just as Marcus began to speak into the camera.
“—concerns regarding the structural integrity of the foundation work on the adjacent expansion site,” Marcus was saying, his voice loud enough to carry across the plaza. “While Vance Development maintained strict quality standards during our tenure, the rapid acquisition by Walker Capital raises serious questions about whether safety standards are being sacrificed for aggressive corporate expansion.”
Lauren felt a surge of cold panic. A public allegation of structural defects—even an unproven one—could kill a residential development project instantly.
“Marcus!” Lauren stepped forward, her voice sharp with anger. “What are you doing?”
Marcus turned, a cold, calculating smile touching his lips. “I’m simply answering questions from the press, Lauren. The public has a right to know if their multi-million-dollar investments are built on solid ground.”
The reporter turned the camera toward Caleb. “Mr. Walker! How do you respond to allegations that your construction methods on the adjacent parcel compromise the safety of the Riverglass tower?”
Caleb didn't flinch. He didn't run from the camera, nor did he let anger cloud his features. He walked down the stone steps with a calm, deliberate pace, stopping three feet from Marcus Vance.
“Marcus,” Caleb said quietly, his voice easily caught by the boom microphone hovering overhead. “You signed off on the engineering reports for the foundation work six weeks ago when Vance Development was still the lead contractor.”
Marcus’s smile wavered slightly. “That was before—”
“That was before I discovered the four-hundred-thousand-dollar accounting discrepancy in your sub-contracting ledger this morning,” Caleb interrupted smoothly.
The reporter’s eyes widened, immediately shifting the camera angle closer to Marcus.
“What discrepancy?” the reporter asked quickly.
Caleb pulled a neatly folded sheet of paper from his jacket pocket and handed it directly to the reporter.
“That is a copy of an independent audit completed at six AM today,” Caleb stated clearly. “It shows that Vance Development deliberately diverted funds meant for foundation waterproofing on the eastern wall into a private offshore holding account managed by Marcus Vance.”
Marcus’s face drained of all color. “That’s... that’s a lie! That’s confidential corporate documentation!”
“It’s property of Walker Capital Holdings now,” Caleb replied coldly. “And as for the structural integrity of the building, the city chief building inspector is currently on site at my invitation, performing a full transparent review of every beam and pile.”
Right on cue, a silver city vehicle pulled up to the curb. A man in a yellow high-visibility vest and a hard hat stepped out, holding a digital tablet.
“Mr. Walker,” the inspector called out, nodding respectfully. “We’ve completed the ultrasonic testing on the east foundation wall. Everything is twenty percent above code compliance. The foundation is rock solid.”
The reporter turned back to Marcus, pressing the microphone into his face. “Mr. Vance, do you have a response to the fraud allegations and the inspector's confirmation?”
Marcus looked around wildly, his eyes darting from the camera to Caleb’s unyielding face. Without another word, he turned on his heel and rushed toward his waiting luxury sedan, ducking inside as his driver sped away from the curb.
Lauren stood on the steps, staring at Caleb in awe.
May you like
“You knew he was going to try something like this,” Lauren said softly.
“I knew he was skimming from the construction budget three days ago,” Caleb said, looking at her. “That’s why I bought him out.”