Chapter 14 - The Prison Cell Betrayal
Deep inside the maximum-security wing of the state penitentiary,
Daniel sat on the edge of his cold iron cot,
staring blankly at the stained concrete floor.
His uniform was frayed,
his skin sickly pale,
and his eyes completely hollowed out by fear and regret.
The heavy iron cell door slid open with a harsh mechanical clatter.
"Vance,"
the guard barked loudly.
"You have a legal visitor."
Daniel jumped up instantly,
a desperate spark of hope igniting in his chest.
"Is it my appeal lawyer?"
Daniel asked frantically,
grabbing the steel doorframe.
"Did they reduce my charges?"
"Shut up and walk,"
the guard ordered,
shoving him forward into the dimly lit hallway.
Daniel was led into a private interview room.
Sitting across the iron table was not his public defender,
nor was it an appellate judge.
It was Mark,
his former Chief Financial Officer,
wearing a sleek designer suit and carrying a fresh leather briefcase.
Daniel rushed to the table,
slamming his cuffed hands onto the metal surface.
"Mark!"
Daniel gasped,
tears welling up in his eyes.
"Thank God you're here!"
"You have to tell the prosecutors that the offshore transfers were approved by the board!"
"You have to take half the blame,
Mark!"
"If you testify for me,"
"I can get out on parole in three years!"
Mark looked at Daniel with a look of pure,
unfiltered amusement,
crossing his legs comfortably in his chair.
"Testify for you,
Daniel?"
Mark asked softly,
laughing under his breath.
"Why on earth would I do that?"
Daniel froze,
his jaw dropping open.
"What...
what do you mean?"
"We were partners!"
"We built Apex Logistics together!"
Mark leaned forward across the table,
lowering his voice to a sharp whisper.
"We didn't build anything together,
Daniel."
"You were a clueless,
arrogant puppet."
"Do you want to know a secret?"
"Who do you think leaked your personal expense logs to Vanguard three months ago?"
"Who do you think ensured your mother's black card flagged the corporate audit system?"
Daniel's eyes widened in horror,
his breath catching violently in his throat.
"You...?"
Daniel whispered,
his voice trembling with realization.
"It was you?"
"It was always me,
Daniel,"
Mark said smoothly,
pulling a gold pen from his pocket.
"I worked directly for Miss Emily Carter long before you even married her."
"She placed me inside your firm to ensure your reckless stupidity didn't destroy her core investment."
"She knew from day one that you were a fraud."
"She was just waiting to see if you had a soul."
"And the night you raised your hand against her in that mansion,"
"she gave me the order to pull the plug."
Daniel let out a horrifying,
strangled shriek,
lunging across the table to grab Mark's throat.
Before his hands could even reach across the metal surface,
two heavy security guards grabbed Daniel from behind,
slamming him hard against the cold concrete floor.
"Get him off me,"
Mark said calmly,
standing up and buttoning his suit jacket.
"Enjoy your fifteen years,
Daniel."
"Oh,"
"and by the way,"
"the court just approved the complete renaming of Apex Tower."
"Starting tomorrow,"
"it will be called the Emily Carter International Center."
Mark turned on his heel and walked out of the room,
leaving Daniel screaming hysterically on the dirty floor,
May you like
his desperate cries echoing uselessly down the long,
dark prison corridors.
