Chapter 6 - The Sabotage

The afternoon felt like a slow-motion countdown to a disaster. Thorne was moving pieces on a chessboard I hadn't realized was so complex. By 4:00 PM, my access to the corporate server was suddenly revoked.

I was standing in the hotel’s server room, trying to override the block, when the door swung open. Two men in sharp, charcoal-grey suits—private security, not the hotel’s usual staff—stepped in. Behind them was a police officer I recognized from the district precinct; he looked uncomfortable, but he held an arrest warrant in his hand.

"Ethan Vance?" the officer asked.

"That's me."

"We have reports of a man in the building claiming to be the owner, creating a disturbance, and attempting to hack into our proprietary systems. We also have a complaint of stalking from the executive suite."

I looked past them and saw Thorne standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall, checking his watch. He had framed me. He had used the "unstable widower" narrative to make me look like a dangerous, delusional man trying to ruin the event.

"I have the proof, officer," I said, pointing to the console. "Thorne is embezzling, and he’s responsible for the negligence that killed my wife."

"Save it for the judge, Mr. Vance," the officer said, pulling out handcuffs.

As they marched me through the lobby, the guests—the elites, the donors, the people who had no idea what was happening behind the curtain—watched with cold curiosity. I saw Lily standing by the elevators, her face pale, clutching her rabbit. I couldn't let them take me. I couldn't leave her alone in a den of vipers.

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Just as the cuffs were about to click, I leaned toward the officer. "You have a warrant signed by a judge, right? Look at the bottom. The corporation that handles this property's legal filings is Vance Holding. Check the seal. If you arrest the owner under false pretenses, you aren't just doing your job—you're committing a federal crime alongside Thorne."

The officer hesitated. He pulled the paper out, squinting at the fine print.