Arthur stepped closer, his voice dropping to a dry hum that sent chills down spines.
"Did you really think I’d co here just for your hollow congratulations while you help yourselves to the keys? Those gold-encrusted keys that you didn’t earn?"
One by one, he called them out, Delmar Kyreth, Janice Raoul, rton Vale, Clarisse Wyndham.
Each na hung in the air like a dark cloud, revealing their hidden secrets for all to see. The room buzzed with tension as eyebrows arched and false politeness crumbled.
Turning back to the screens, Arthur pressed a button on his cufflink. "I have three choices for you," he announced coolly. "You choose."
Suddenly, new data overlays flickered to life: personal finance breakdowns for each cartel mber,assets, investnts, holdings laid bare.
"Choice 1:" Transfer 40% of all personal assets, cash or equivalent value, directly to Osborn Holdings Corp. Overnight. Zero questions asked.
"Choice 2:" Formally relinquish any claim or interest in the ga Plaza, its assets, board seats, profitability, everything for yourselves and your families.
"Choice 3:" Try to keep your filthy claws in my creation, and I’ll hand everything you just saw... and more... over to the Federation Criminal Law Bureau and every law enforcent agency in the Aurelian Federation. Let’s see if your ’friends in Parliant’ can save you from corruption charges, money laundering, campaign-finance scandals, you na it.
With a flick of his finger, a new slide appeared: footage of Vale eting with lobbyists; Raoul accepting envelopes in shadowy corridors; Wyndham negotiating favorable zoning deals in luxurious chateaus abroad.
They stared at themselves, faceless titans transford into caricatures of horror.
"Your choice," Arthur repeated softly but with lethal intent.
A bead of sweat trickled down Raoul’s temple as Kyreth swallowed hard; desperation etched across Wyndham’s pale face was unmistakable.
Silence enveloped the room like a heavy fog,a battleground filled with unspoken truths and shattered dignity.
Then Arthur’s tone shifted, quiet yet almost playful. "By the way... I do have ti before I decide whether to call Lieutenant-Governor Whitmore for a chat... or parade your sorry selves across the front pages."
)
A tremor of fear rippled through them as he spoke deliberately. "Your call."
Heads dropped low; minutes dragged on like hours as they weighed their options under an oppressive silence.
Outside these walls waited a world poised on edge the next move of an empire hanging by a thread woven from one man’s breaking point.
--------
The atmosphere in the Neo-Luminara Grand Parliant House conference room was electric, charged with an intensity that crackled in the air.
The once warm, golden lighting that highlighted the polished oak table now cast long, foreboding shadows over the twisted faces of the elite families and political titans gathered around it.
Just monts ago, they had been laughing, basking in what they thought was victory. But now? Now, Arthur stood at the head of the table like a devil draped in silk.
His tailored black suit hugged his form perfectly, cufflinks shimring subtly,a lethal elegance.
He wore a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes; they were icy cold and rciless.
"You really think I’m foolish," Arthur said softly, his voice slicing through the tense silence like a knife. "Do you believe you can sink your teeth into and walk away unscathed?"
No one dared to respond.
Arthur chuckled lightly, tilting his head as if amused by their fear. "Honestly? I invested trillions into the Osborn ga Comrcial Plaza, blood, sweat, tears, and vision,all poured into sothing none of you believed in."
His gaze swept over them like a predator sizing up its prey; each flinched under his scrutiny while so attempted to straighten their backs and reclaim a shred of dignity, but it was gone, stripped from them as soon as those screens lit up.
He began pacing slowly behind them like a lion stalking its dying prey. "And now that it stands tall,generating hundreds of billions daily, you co crawling back to like dogs at a butcher’s door, claiming it belongs to the public?"
With a sudden motion, he slamd his hands on the table; the thud echoed like gunfire throughout the room.
"My food is mine! I don’t share my plate with rats."
Gasps rippled through the crowd; Lady Clarisse Wyndham shrank back with trembling crimson lips while Treasurer Maris Delaine stared down at her manicured nails, her hands shaking uncontrollably.
Arthur’s voice dropped lower still. "Let paint this picture for you more clearly: You thought I would fold under pressure,that politics and public opinion could bend my will."
He leaned toward Senator Kyreth and whispered ominously in his ear: "You brought a scalpel to a nuclear war."
Turning back to face them all again, he continued with chilling calmness: "You had three choices: I offered you an out,a deal,a lifeline. Forty percent of your assets or equivalent liquid cash. Cut ties and walk away... or face exposure."
He let out a laugh that didn’t touch his eyes. "It was generous, really."
From his pocket erged a small remote control; with one press of a button, lights dimd again as silence enveloped them once more.
The walls glowed as holographic screens flickered to life, not displaying financial data or tax fraud this ti but sothing far more sinister.
The screen flickered to life, splitting into several live feeds that captured chilling scenes unfolding in real-ti.
First up, a young girl,no older than ten, played joyfully in a courtyard, her laughter ringing out under the watchful gaze of her nanny. Councilor Vale gasped; that was his granddaughter!
Next, the cara zood in on Minister Raoul’s son stepping into a luxury elevator at his private condo.
For just a heartbeat, a red dot hovered ominously on his chest before disappearing. The sight made soone let out a choked cry.
Then ca Lady Wyndham’s husband, casually sipping wine on the terrace of their mountain retreat.
The cara panned outward, revealing a figure stationed on a neighboring peak with a sniper rifle gleaming nacingly in the sunlight.
In another feed, Maris Delaine’s youngest brother laughed with friends at an upscale café while a black van idled suspiciously down the street.
Finally, Senator Kyreth’s eldest daughter was seen typing away diligently in her office.
But for just a mont, the angle shifted to reveal a telescopic scope glinting from an opposite rooftop.
Arthur stood at the center of the room, arms crossed and deanor calm yet commanding. "Do you understand what this ans?" he asked slowly, turning to face each person present.
"You ca after my family, my legacy, you tried to strip everything from . And yet," he paused for effect, "you thought I’d play nice?"
An eerie silence enveloped them, a silence so thick it felt palpable.
"Now," Arthur continued softly but venomously, "you look terrified."
He leaned closer as he whispered chillingly: "Why? Because you see what it ans to poke a monster with a silver spoon."
Minister Raoul broke first; his voice trembled as he stamred out words of disbelief. "Y-you wouldn’t hurt children... would you? This is... insane, Arthur!"
Arthur’s expression remained unchanged as he smiled coldly. "Did I say I would hurt anyone? I’m rely showing you how exposed you are, how easy it would be if I wanted to."
His voice dropped lower: "But if you continue to stretch your claws... I won’t hesitate to kill children... even unborn ones."
As he said this he smiled brightly revealing his pearly white teeth.
Horror filled every pair of eyes in the room as they stared at Arthur, as if looking directly into the eyes of the devil himself.
Senator Kyreth trembled visibly; his hands shook uncontrollably. "Y-you... this is blackmail! This is terrorism!"
Arthur let out an unsettling laugh, a genuine one that sent chills down everyone’s spine. "Call it what you want! Do you really think the Federation cares? That your families matter more than your sins? The criminal files I have could send all of you rotting away in an Arctic cell."
Maris Delaine fainted; no one moved to catch her.
Arthur turned to Derrick, who lingered like a silent specter by the door, arms crossed tightly. "See that? No loyalty among them. They fall apart the mont the mirror cracks."
Derrick nodded slowly. "They always do."
With a determined stride, Arthur returned to the head of the table, exuding confidence. He settled into his chair, crossing one leg over the other with an air of authority.
"So," he began, his tone casual yet charged with intensity, "what’s it going to be? Transfer the assets or test just how far I’m willing to go?"
A holographic tir flickered to life on the screen behind him, counting down from fifteen minutes.
Lady Wyndham’s voice trembled as she protested, "Y-you’re bluffing... there’s no way..."
Arthur leaned in closer, resting his chin thoughtfully on his hand. A sly smile crept across his face. "Wanna bet?"
The room fell into a heavy silence, breath held tight, eyes darting nervously.
And then Arthur smiled wider.
"You thought I was just a businessman," he said, tilting his head slightly as if revealing a secret. "But you’ve awakened sothing else in ; I’m more than that."
His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper that sent chills down spines around the table.
"You woke up a monster."
Reviews
All reviews (0)