Chapter 8 - The Price of Truth
At the kitchen table, Maya Lin worked beneath the glow of a single battery-powered lamp. Her phone buzzed relentlessly with messages from panicked colleagues, threatening emails from Vance’s legal armada, and alerts from state bar investigators threatening to revoke her license.
"He’s moving fast," Maya said, rubbing her strained temples. "Vance has frozen Clara’s accounts, put a lien on your property, Julian, and filed an emergency motion to declare the digital ledger on that flash drive stolen intellectual property. If we leak it directly to the press, he’ll get a federal gag order slapped on every major platform within twenty minutes."
"Then we don't leak it to the press," Julian said, studying the schematics of Project Aegis on the screen. "We force him to address it where his money can't buy an immediate deletion."
"Where?" Maya asked.
"Tomorrow night is the Annual Municipal Gala at the Grand Plaza Hotel," Julian pointed at the digital calendar entry saved in Vance’s personal files. "Every investor, senator, judge, and foreign tech partner Vance has will be in that ballroom. He’s accepting the Civic Leader of the Year award. He’s going to announce his candidacy for governor."
Maya’s eyes widened. "Julian, the Grand Plaza will be a fortress. Private security, Secret Service details for visiting dignitaries, and local police everywhere. You’ll be walking into the lion’s mouth."
"He thinks we're running toward the border," Julian said coldly. "He expects us to be terrified, desperate, and hiding in the woods. Bullies don't know what to do when the prey turns around and walks straight toward the punch."
Clara leaned forward, her eyes catching the firelight. "I’m going with you."
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"Clara, you’re not strong enough—"
"I was locked in a dark room for six months listening to that man tell me I was nothing," she interrupted with a fierce, quiet dignity. "I am not hiding while other people fight for my life. If Carter Vance is going to fall, I want him to look into my eyes while the world sees who he really is."
