Chapter 2 - The Lion's Den
The Vance International Tower loomed over the city skyline like a monolith of glass and steel. Standing at the base of the skyscraper the next morning, Garrett felt entirely out of place. He wore his best clothes—a pair of dark jeans without grease stains, a pressed button-down shirt, and his old military dress jacket, stripped of its insignias but still carrying the sharp, tailored lines of his service days.
When he stepped inside the lobby, the security guards immediately flagged him down, their eyes darting to his worn boots. But the moment Garrett slid the matte-black card across the marble counter, the lead guard's demeanor shifted instantly. His back straightened into a rigid posture of respect.
"Apologies, Mr. Holloway. Right this way. The express elevator is ready for you," the guard said, guiding him toward a private elevator bank.
The ride to the 80th floor was silent and dizzyingly fast. When the doors opened, Garrett was greeted by a sprawling, panoramic view of the city. The floor was quiet, carpeted in deep plush rugs, with floor-to-ceiling glass walls revealing high-powered executives rushing about in tailored suits.
"Ah, the savior of the diner. How quaint."
Garrett turned to see a man in his late thirties approaching. He was impeccably groomed, wearing a bespoke three-piece suit, but his eyes were cold, calculating, and dripping with condescension. A silver name tag on his desk read: Julian Vance, Vice President of Operations.
"Can I help you?" Garrett asked, his military instincts instantly putting him on alert. This man smelled like corporate poison.
"I am Julian, Eleanor’s nephew and the actual brains running the daily operations of this company while my aunt indulges in her little 'excursions' into the real world," Julian said, looking Garrett up and down with blatant disgust. "I heard about what happened yesterday. A minor altercation with some local youth. My aunt is getting old, Garrett. She’s becoming sentimental. She thinks because you have a sob story and a hero complex, you're worth her time. I assure you, you are not."
"I’m just here because she asked me to come," Garrett replied calmly, refusing to let the man bait him. He had faced down armed insurgents; a corporate climber in an expensive suit wasn't going to break his composure.
"Let’s be honest, Mr. Holloway. You’re a broke mechanic with a failing business and a daughter you can barely afford to feed," Julian sneered, stepping closer, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "You think you’ve found a golden goose. I’m here to tell you that if you try to exploit my aunt, I will personally see to it that whatever little life you have left is utterly dismantled. Here."
Julian pulled a checkbook from his pocket, scribbled a number, and ripped the paper off, slapping it against Garrett's chest. "Ten thousand dollars. Take it, walk away, and never come back to this tower."
Garrett looked down at the check. The amount would pay off his shop’s back rent and give him a safety net for six months. It was everything he had been praying for. But as he looked at Julian's smug, arrogant face, he realized that accepting this money meant selling his dignity to a snake.
May you like
Before Garrett could speak, a cold, powerful voice echoed across the lobby. "If you are quite finished bribing my guest, Julian, I suggest you return to your office before I have security escort you out of my building."
Eleanor stood at the entrance of her corner office, leaning heavily on her cane, her eyes blazing with an icy fury that made even Julian visibly flinch.
