Chapter 6 - THE RAT IN THE TOWER
At eight o'clock in the morning, the executive boardroom on the forty-fifth floor of the Moretti Tower was filled with high-ranking board members, corporate lawyers, and major shareholders.
At the head of the long mahogany table sat Marcus Vale. He was trying his best to project air of absolute control, but the sweat glistening on his forehead and his constantly twitching left hand betrayed his rising desperation.
Elena sat to his right, wearing her black veil pushed back over her dark hair. Her face was hollow, her hands trembling so hard she couldn't hold her coffee cup without spilling it onto the pristine white tablecloth.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Marcus announced, standing up and clearing his throat. "We are gathered here under dark circumstances. As you know, our beloved CEO, Adrian Moretti, tragically passed away earlier this week. Today, we must ensure the continuity of this company."
A elder board member, Arthur's old friend Thomas Vance (no relation to the doctor), leaned forward. "Marcus, the burial was supposed to happen this afternoon. Why are we pushing through an emergency vote to liquidate thirty percent of our harbor assets to a foreign investment group at eight in the morning?"
"Because the market doesn't wait for grief, Thomas," Marcus lied smoothly. "The freight contracts with Volkov Logistics will guarantee our profit margins for the next decade. If we don't sign the transfer papers today, the contract expires."
"And what about Adrian's estate?" Thomas questioned, looking sharply at Elena. "The probate court hasn't fully verified the death certificate yet. There are rumors circulating on the docks that Frankie Ross was framed, and that the shipping manifests were altered."
"Rumors spread by disgruntled dockworkers," Elena cut in, her voice cold, though strained. "My husband trusted Marcus implicitly. As the sole heir to Adrian's estate, I approve this transfer."
She took an expensive gold pen, placed it against the signature line of the multi-million-dollar asset transfer document, and prepared to sign her name.
Suddenly, every phone in the boardroom chimed simultaneously.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The board members looked down at their phones in confusion. Marcus frowned, pulling his personal device from his inner jacket pocket.
An incoming email notification was displayed on his screen. The sender address was unknown, but the subject line read:
FROM THE CASKET OF ADRIAN MORETTI.
Marcus's heart dropped into his stomach. His thumb trembled as he tapped the notification.
Attached to the email were three files: an audio file labeled Vance_Confession.mp3, a PDF document labeled Toxicology_Report_Real.pdf, and a bank transfer document showing Elena's offshore account details.
Before Marcus could close the app, the large presentation screen at the end of the boardroom—connected to the company's central network—automatically powered on.
The audio file began to play loudly through the high-end boardroom speakers, filling the room with Dr. Vance's panicked voice:
"...It was Marcus! Marcus paid me half a million dollars! He said he'd ruin me if I didn't sign the death certificate! He had photos of my family! ... The poison signatures, Marcus's wire transfers, the fake autopsy report—everything is on there!..."
Gasps erupted across the boardroom. Board members leapt to their feet, staring at the screen in utter horror.
"Turn it off!" Marcus screamed, slamming his fists onto the table. "Disconnect the server! Somebody shut that damn thing down!"
The IT manager in the corner frantically typed on his laptop, but his screen was completely locked out. "I can't! The system has been overridden from an external administrative key! It's... it's using Adrian's private master code!"
Elena dropped her gold pen, backing away from the table as if she had been burned. "No... no, no, no..." she whimpered, clutching her neck.
The audio stopped, and a video stream replaced it on the wall screen.
The camera showed the interior of a dimly lit warehouse—Terminal 3 at Ravenport Harbor.
Standing in front of a sea of hundreds of angry dockworkers, holding a microphone in one hand and wearing a plain black coat, was Adrian Moretti.
He was alive. Pale, bruised, but undeniably alive.
The entire boardroom went completely silent. Thomas Vance gasped, sinking back into his chair. "My God... he's alive..."
On the screen, Adrian looked directly into the camera lens, as if he were staring straight through the monitor into the souls of the two traitors sitting in the boardroom.
"Good morning, Marcus," Adrian's voice echoed through the boardroom speakers, steady, deep, and filled with cold thunder. "Good morning, Elena."
Elena let out a choked scream, falling back into her chair, covering her eyes.
"I see you're holding an emergency board meeting to sell my harbor to Nikolai Volkov," Adrian continued on the live stream. "I'm sorry I couldn't attend in person... I was a little delayed getting out of my coffin."
The dockworkers behind Adrian let out a massive roar of fury and support, waving their fists in the air.
"As CEO of Moretti Enterprises," Adrian said, holding up a physical copy of his legal administrative key, "I have officially frozen every bank account, every asset transfer, and every security credential associated with Marcus Vale and Elena Moretti. The federal prosecutor's office has just received the original toxicology reports and the offshore banking records."
Marcus stared at the screen, his face turning from red to deep purple. He reached into his coat, pulled out his personal firearm, and pointed it at the IT manager. "Get me out of this building! NOW!"
The boardroom descended into total chaos. Lawyers and board members scrambled for the doors, screaming in terror.
"Marcus!" Elena shrieked, grabbing his arm as he bolted toward the private executive elevator. "Don't leave me! What about the money? What about the plan?"
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Marcus shoved her hard, sending her crashing onto the carpet. "The plan is dead, you stupid bitch!" he spat, his eyes wild with feral panic. "And if you come with me, you're going to prison!"
He slammed his hand on the elevator call button, stepped inside the silver doors, and disappeared, leaving his partner in crime alone on the floor, weeping amidst the ruined remnants of her greed.
