Chapter 7 - The Digital Counterstrike
Maya dragged the groaning assassin toward the center of the expansive living room.
She forced him down into a heavy leather armchair.
She tapped her smartwatch once more to summon the local authorities directly to the penthouse.
Arthur stood silently by the shattered mirrored wall.
He stared out at the glittering skyline of the city he had helped build.
The adrenaline of the violent encounter was finally beginning to wear off.
He felt the heavy, cold weight of exhaustion settling deep into his bones.
"The police will be up here in less than five minutes," Maya announced quietly.
She did not lower her guard or holster her weapon.
She kept her sharp eyes locked entirely on the restrained hitman.
Arthur turned slowly from the window to face her.
"Marcus wanted me dead before the sunrise," Arthur stated grimly.
"He did not just want to stop the board vote tomorrow morning."
Arthur walked with purpose toward his heavy mahogany desk near the panoramic windows.
"He wanted complete control of the corporate infrastructure before the markets opened."
Arthur booted up his secured, encrypted executive laptop.
The pale blue light of the monitor illuminated his tired, weathered face.
"If I die, the company automatically falls under emergency executive control," Arthur explained.
"Marcus would have had complete, unchecked authority over all offshore accounts."
Maya moved closer to the desk to monitor their immediate surroundings.
"We need to finalize your charitable trust transfer right now," Maya suggested firmly.
"If the money is legally moved, his entire hostile takeover crumbles instantly."
Arthur typed his complex master password with steady, determined fingers.
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"We are going to burn his entire financial empire to the ground tonight," Arthur declared.
He firmly pressed the execution key to initiate the final, irreversible transfer sequence.
