Chapter 57: The Revenge
Next Morning — Star Harbor in Turmoil
The usually bustling Star Harbor Business District was drowning in tension. Rumors had spread like wildfire overnight.
Stone Enterprises’ twin mega-projects, once a symbol of rebirth, were now the epicenter of scandal.
News outlets camped outside their building. Angry murmurs filled investor group chats. PR teams scrambled to deflect the headlines. The legal division had gone into overdrive, trying to pre-empt subpoenas and quell police involvement.
Some investors pulled out.Others demanded emergency meetings.Loan sharks began circling like vultures, calling in debts early.Whispered doubts spread through the workers:"What if the money dries up?""What if the whole thing gets shut down?"
Tension. Everywhere.
Star Central Mall – Private Meeting Room
Inside a quiet, temperature-controlled conference room, Gibson Winstone and Elfric Willise sat side-by-side in heavy silence.
No assistants. No advisors. Just the deafening tick of the wall clock.
They had spent the entire night rehearsing explanations, building narratives, preparing half-truths and contingency plans.
Then...