Chapter 4: The House of Cards Collapses
Panic erupted in the VIP section. Arthur tried to storm the stage, screaming that it was all a forgery, a malicious hack, a lie. But his words were drowned out by the collective murmur of disgust rising from the crowd.
"You thought you could buy my silence, Arthur," Emily said, looking directly down at him from the podium. "You thought because you had the money, you were untouchable. But you forgot one thing: truth leaves a digital footprint."
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Before Arthur could reach the stairs, the heavy metal gates at the back of the stadium swung open. It wasn't campus security. It was a unit of federal marshals and regulatory investigators, moving with practiced, unyielding efficiency. They had received the automated data packet the exact second Emily plugged the drive into the master console—a fail-safe she had set up weeks ago, just in case he tried to silence her today.
Two agents bypassed the bewildered guards, walked straight to the base of the stage, and placed Arthur Vance in handcuffs. The billionaire who had ruled the tech sector like a feudal lord was suddenly reduced to a whimpering suspect, his expensive suit rumpled as he was led away in front of the very people he had exploited.
