Chapter 21 - THE HIDDEN WITNESS
"I know someone is up there... show yourself!" Mark called out, his voice echoing off the corrugated walls.
A slow, deliberate pair of footsteps began descending the rusted iron staircase toward the ground floor.
Out of the shadows stepped a middle-aged man in a worn trench coat, holding a battered leather briefcase.
Mark lowered his weapon slightly, though he kept his finger resting firmly on the trigger guard.
"You're Mark Vance... the man who dismantled Julian’s corporate empire in a single night," the stranger said.
"And you're the one who sent coordinates to my home... who are you?" Mark demanded sharply.
"My name is Arthur Pendelton... former chief financial officer for Vance Global before Julian took over," the man replied.
Arthur set the battered briefcase down on an empty wooden crate, opening the brass latches slowly.
"Julian didn't act alone, Mr. Vance... there was a silent partner sitting on the board who funded the entire operation," Arthur revealed.
Mark stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as he looked down into the open briefcase filled with financial ledgers.
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"Who was the silent partner?" Mark asked, the tension in the room reaching a boiling point.
***
