Chapter 22 - The Return of the Shadow
The battleground shifted from the streets to the sterile, high-tech chambers of the City Zoning Board. Bea sat at the petitioner's table, her posture straight and unyielding. Across the aisle sat Julian Ashby. He was in his early thirties, possessing his father’s sharp, handsome features, but his eyes were colder, hidden behind designer glasses.
"The public benefit model is outdated, Madam Chair," Julian argued smoothly, presenting a holographic projection of a massive, sleek luxury high-rise. "Our development will bring forty thousand high-paying tech jobs to this district. The Ashby Trust's shelters are occupying land that could generate millions in municipal taxes."
"Those shelters house three hundred families a night, Mr. Ashby," Bea countered, her voice ringing with absolute, commanding authority. "Families your development would displace into the freezing winter. The charter of Kellerman Square explicitly states the surrounding grid must remain public domain."
"Charters can be amended when they no longer serve the economic health of the city," Julian sneered, turning his gaze directly to Bea. "We are offering a generous buyout to the trust. If you refuse, we will let the courts decide if your grandfather's old mental health records make his legacy legally binding."
Bea’s heart skipped a beat. Julian had dug up their father James’s old medical files—the ones Marcus had bribed doctors to falsify decades ago during his first attempt to seize the company.
May you like
"My father's mind was clearer than yours will ever be, Julian," Bea said, her voice dropping to an icy whisper.
"We’ll let the public decide that when the transcripts are leaked to the press tomorrow morning," Julian replied with a venomous smirk.
