Chapter 9 - The Trial of the Past
Six months later.
The high-ceilinged boardroom of the Las Vegas Gaming Control Board was packed with state officials, press reporters, and legal representatives. Today was the official review of the Wren Syndicate's transition from a gray-market enterprise into a fully legal, publicly traded commercial conglomerate.
Sitting at the main podium was Cassius Wren, impeccably dressed in a dark navy suit. Beside him sat his legal team, and sitting in the front row of the public gallery were Maya and Eli. Maya looked stunning in a professional beige suit, her hair styled neatly, holding a leather folder containing the trust's first quarterly report. Eli sat beside her, wearing a small blue blazer and a clip-on tie, looking sharp and confident.
The Chairman of the board, an elderly man named Judge Harrison, adjusted his glasses and looked down at Cassius.
"Mr. Wren," Judge Harrison began, his voice echoing through the microphone. "Over the past six months, your organization has dissolved four private security firms, surrendered twelve contested liquor licenses, and donated over twenty million dollars to public education and low-income housing initiatives in Nevada."
A soft murmur went through the crowd of reporters.
"However," Harrison continued, leaning forward, "there are those on this board who argue that a man with your... colorful past... cannot simply wash his hands of the shadow world. They say a leopard doesn't change his spots."
Cassius leaned toward his microphone. His tone was calm, composed, and utterly devoid of hostility.
"I didn't change my spots, Mr. Chairman," Cassius said clearly. "I changed my objective. For twenty-six years, I used force to protect what was mine because the world taught me that weakness invites destruction. But power without purpose is just violence. I found a purpose."
"And what is that purpose, Mr. Wren?" Harrison asked.
Cassius looked past the reporters, past the cameras, straight at the small boy sitting in the front row.
"To ensure that the next generation of children in this city don't have to grow up learning how to survive alone," Cassius said. "If you approve this transition, every dollar made by this conglomerate will be subject to public audit, and forty percent of all profits will directly fund the community trust. If you deny it, I will dismantle the business piece by piece and give the assets away myself."
Judge Harrison stared at Cassius for a long, quiet moment. He looked at the legal documents on his desk, then at the young woman and the boy sitting in the gallery.
The Chairman picked up his wooden gavel.
"By unanimous vote of this board," Harrison announced, "the commercial license application for the Wren Enterprise Group is hereby... approved."
The gavel came down with a sharp BANG.
The courtroom erupted into applause. Reporters flashed their cameras, and Cassius's legal team began shaking hands. But Cassius stood up immediately, stepping away from the podium, ignoring the press microphones being pushed into his face.
He walked straight to the front row, kneeling down on one knee in front of Eli.
"How did I do?" Cassius asked.
May you like
Eli looked at the tall man, adjusting his clip-on tie with a small smile. "You spoke well. Better than Julian's dad."
Cassius let out a quiet, genuine laugh—a sound that Matteo, standing near the exit doors, hadn't heard in over twenty years.
