Chapter 17 - Betrayal Within the Inner Circle
The final piece of the corporate conspiracy puzzle fell into place during Marcus Vance’s closed-door plea hearing. Cornered by incontrovertible digital evidence linking his terminal to Ethan’s unauthorized sandbox access, Marcus folded instantly under federal questioning.
He submitted a formal affidavit detailing how Ethan had manipulated him with empty promises of an executive position in the new corporate regime they were supposedly building together.
'He promised me I would head up the regional tech division once Apex took over,' Marcus confessed to the federal prosecutor, his voice shaking with regret. 'I didn't think it was real industrial espionage—he made it sound like a simple corporate restructuring maneuver.'
May you like
'Ignorance of federal wire fraud and computer intrusion laws is not a legal defense, Mr. Vance,' the prosecutor replied coldly, stamping the affidavit. 'Your cooperation will be noted in the sentencing recommendation, but you are still facing a federal felony conviction and mandatory disbarment from tech industry employment.'
As Marcus was led out of the chamber in disgrace, the complete anatomy of Ethan’s parasitic network was laid bare. Every collaborator had turned on the other, proving once again that alliances forged in greed dissolve instantly when subjected to the harsh light of accountability.
