Chapter 11 - The Mask Slips
As the download bar slowly crawled across the screen, a soft click came from the doorway behind her. Avery froze.
“I expected you to be smarter than this, Avery,” a voice said.
It was Liam. He was standing in the doorway, his silhouette imposing in the dim light of the server room. He didn’t look like the man she had loved; he looked like a hollow shell of human decency.
“You’re trying to steal from us again?” Liam asked, stepping closer. “Haven't you learned your lesson?”
“I’m not stealing, Liam,” Avery said, her voice steady. “I’m taking back what you stole from me. My life. My son. My dignity.”
Liam laughed, a cold, humorless sound. “You really think you’re the victim here? You’re a footnote, Avery. A mistake that we’ve finally corrected.”
Avery reached for the drive, but Liam was faster. He grabbed her arm, his grip bruising. “You’re not leaving here with that.”
Avery looked him in the eyes, refusing to show fear. “You can hurt me, Liam, but you can’t hide the truth forever. It’s already uploading.”
Liam’s face changed. The arrogance dropped, replaced by a flash of genuine panic. He rushed to the console, but it was too late. The progress bar reached 100%.
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“It’s done,” Avery whispered. “The whole world is about to see exactly what the Sterling empire is built on.”
Liam lunged at her, but she ducked, shoving him backward into the rack of servers. The room erupted in a shower of sparks, and the alarm began to blare, echoing throughout the entire building.
