“Sometimes,” Luis says quietly, “you let the thief carry the stolen goods into the light.”
You meet Daniel in a private lounge overlooking the Hudson, a place where drinks cost more than Luis’s weekly groceries.
You arrive with Marisol in the next booth, hidden in plain sight, and two federal agents positioned like shadows.
Daniel doesn’t see them because men like Daniel assume the world belongs to them.
He greets you with a hug that feels like a costume.
“I tried to stop Miranda,” Daniel says, voice low. “You know how she is.”
You sit, steady, and let him speak.
He offers a deal: you resign publicly, he helps “clear” your name quietly, you get a payout and disappear.
It’s almost elegant, if you ignore the rot.
You lean forward.
“So you want me to become the villain so the board can buy low and rebuild without me,” you say calmly.
Daniel’s smile tightens. “You always were smart,” he says.
Then he adds, softer, “Don’t do this the hard way.”
You let a silence hang, and in that silence Daniel reveals his real face.
He says, “There’s footage of you ‘approving’ the numbers.”
He says, “There are witnesses who will swear you told them to bury the audit.”
He says, “If you fight, you’ll lose everything anyway.”
And then you say the sentence that changes the room.
“I already have the footage of you handing Miranda the deepfake file,” you reply.
Daniel’s eyes flicker, just once, just enough.
You watch his throat move as he swallows.
At that moment, the federal agent steps forward and flashes a badge.
Daniel freezes like his bones turned to ice.
Marisol stands too, voice sharp as a gavel. “Daniel Roe,” she says, “you are done negotiating with ghosts.”
The arrest isn’t dramatic.
No tackling, no screaming.
Just handcuffs clicking shut while Daniel stares at you like he can’t believe you chose reality over loyalty.
As they lead him away, his face twists and he spits, “You think you won? You’re nothing without the company.”
You watch him go and realize something surprising.
He’s right about one thing: the company you loved is not the company you have anymore.
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