Chapter 6 - The Threat Escalates
Julian Vance had used the hospital network years ago to extort wealthy families and launder black-market money. When Clara discovered the network, Julian had ordered her car run off the road to preserve his multi-billion-dollar empire. Now, learning that Ethan had recovered the child and Clara's hidden digital evidence, Julian moved to eliminate both of them before the police could be involved.
That afternoon, Ethan's legal team received emergency filings: Julian Vance had called an emergency board meeting to freeze Ethan’s assets and strip him of his CEO authority, framing Ethan for corporate embezzlement.
"They're trying to paralyze us financial-wise so we can't protect ourselves," Ethan told his chief of security, a former Special Forces captain named Devlin.
"They won't just stop at paperwork, Mr. Lancaster," Devlin warned, checking the sidearm hidden beneath his jacket. "Julian Vance knows that micro-SD card contains medical records with his signature on them. He's cornered."
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"Then we don't hide," Ethan said, his eyes turning cold as steel. "We fight back."
Ethan moved Laya to a secure, heavily guarded safehouse in the countryside outside the city, surrounding her with trusted personal bodyguards. He spent the night uploading Clara's encrypted files to federal prosecutors, setting the fuse for a massive law enforcement crackdown.
