Chapter 4 - The Fall of the Empire
The betrayal cut deeper than any physical blade. Marcus Vance had been by Jonathan’s side since the founding of Bennett Industries.
"Why, Marcus?" Jonathan demanded, stepping shifting his body to shield Lucas and Lily. "We were brothers. I treated Lucas like your own nephew!"
"And that’s exactly the problem," Marcus sneered, gesturing for the mercenaries to disarm the mansion guards. "You built an empire, Jonathan. But you kept it all for yourself and your perfect little family. When my sister invented the neural dampener tech, she wanted to use it for medical prosthetics. I saw a better use. A way to neutralize the Bennett heir, to drive you to despair, to force you to liquidate your shares to fund useless medical research across the globe. I've been buying up those shares through shell companies for twelve years."
Marcus held up a tablet. "As we speak, a deepfake broadcast is airing across global networks. It shows you, Jonathan Bennett, confesses to illegal human experimentation and manufacturing black-market nanotech—using your own son as a test subject. The board has already stripped you of your CEO title. By morning, you will be a wanted fugitive, and I will control Bennett Industries."
"You're a monster," Lucas said, his voice trembling but steady as he stood up from the piano bench.
"I'm a businessman, kid," Marcus replied coldly. He turned to the mercenary captain. "Take Jonathan to the secure facility. Dispose of the girl. And as for Lucas... put him back in the dark. Permanently."
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As the mercenaries lunged forward, the library lights suddenly shattered into sparks. Lily had slipped a small electromagnetic pulse device—salvaged from her mother's old belongings—out of her pocket and slammed it onto the floor.
In the pitch blackness and sudden chaos, the mercenaries fired blindly. But while they were blinded by the dark, Lucas was in his element. Twelve years of navigating by sound and instinct guided his movements flawlessly. Grabbing Lily’s hand and pulling his father by the arm, Lucas led them through a hidden architectural passage behind the library fireplace, vanishing into the subterranean tunnels beneath the mansion.
