Chapter 6 - The Viper's Last Strike
The victory in the boardroom sent seismic shockwaves through Wall Street. By noon, Vale Aeronautics’ stock had surged nine percent on the news of Adrian’s miraculous physical recovery and the purging of the corrupt directors. The narrative had flipped completely: Adrian was no longer the tragic, disabled heir; he was the triumphant titan who had outsmarted his enemies.
Yet, as Adrian and I retreated to his private corner office on the top floor, neither of us felt like celebrating.
Adrian leaned his cane against his desk and stood by the window, gazing out over the mist-shrouded skyline. His posture was rigid, his expression contemplative.
"Julian Sterling was a greedy parasite, but he wasn't the architect," Adrian said quietly.
I brought him a glass of water, placing it near his hand. "What makes you say that?"
"The photo Marcus brought last night," he reminded me, turning to face me. "Julian didn't have the military connections to access the NTSB crash facility in Ohio. Julian was just the treasurer. There is a third player—someone with blood on their hands, someone who wanted me dead, not just bankrupt."
Before I could reply, the intercom on his desk buzzed.
"Mr. Vale," Adrian's secretary spoke hesitantly. "Victoria Davenport is in the private reception lounge. She's hysterical. She refuses to leave until she speaks with you. She claims she has information about the Ohio crash."
I looked at Adrian. "A desperate trap?"
"Undoubtedly," Adrian replied. "Let's see what poison she has left to spill."
When the doors opened, Victoria looked nothing like the polished, diamond-draped socialite from the gala. Her designer dress was wrinkled, her makeup streaked with tears, and her eyes wide with frantic, manic panic. The news of her father’s federal arrest had evidently destroyed her world in less than four hours.
The moment she saw Adrian standing tall without his wheelchair, she froze in horror.
"You... you really can walk," she whispered, her voice trembling. "You made a fool of me! You let me walk into that ballroom and destroy myself!"
"You destroyed yourself, Victoria," I said coldly, stepping forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Adrian. "You chose cruelty. You chose to kick a man you believed couldn't stand up. Don't blame him for letting you reveal your true face."
Victoria turned her venomous gaze onto me, her teeth grinding. "You insignificant little secretary! You think you've won? You think you've caught a billionaire? You're playing in a league that will swallow you whole!"
"Enough," Adrian commanded, the sheer volume of his voice making Victoria flinch. "You claimed to have information about my plane crash. Speak, or Marcus will remove you from this building in handcuffs just like your father."
Victoria swallowed hard, clutching her designer handbag like a shield. "My father didn't plan the crash, Adrian. He was too cowardly! Three weeks before your plane went down, my father met with a man at the Metropolitan Club. I was there—I was waiting in the lounge. The man didn't use a name, but he wore a signet ring with a double-headed silver serpent."
Adrian’s breath hitched slightly, though his expression remained an icy mask.
"He told my father that if your jet fell from the sky, my father would take control of the commercial aerospace division, while *they* took the government defense contracts," Victoria rambled, tears streaming down her cheeks. "My father was terrified of him, Adrian! The man said his organization had operatives embedded everywhere—even inside your personal medical team!"
My blood went cold. I instinctively looked at Adrian.
"Why tell me this now, Victoria?" Adrian asked coldly.
"Because they're cleaning house!" Victoria sobbed, collapsing onto her knees on the plush carpet. "My father was arrested, but on the news just now... the transport van carrying him to the federal detention center was broadsided by a cement truck on the FDR Drive! My father is dead, Adrian! They killed him to keep him quiet, and I know I'm next!"
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Adrian and I exchanged a look of pure shock. The stakes had just escalated from corporate warfare to ruthless, open bloodshed.
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