Chapter 7: The Viper in the Cell
Friday, 2:00 AM. Metropolitan Correctional Center.
The holding cell was damp, smelling of bleach and stale sweat. Eleanor Sterling sat on the rigid metal bench, her ruined wedding dress finally swapped for a coarse orange jumpsuit. She hated the color. It washed out her complexion.
The heavy steel door clanked open, and her high-priced defense attorney, Richard Vance, stepped in. He looked exhausted, his tie loosened, holding a thick manila folder.
"It's bad, Eleanor," Richard sighed, sitting across from her. "Arthur has the security footage. He has Julian’s testimony. They are charging you with attempted murder, conspiracy, and corporate espionage."
"I don't pay you to tell me what the charges are, Richard," Eleanor snapped, her voice like cracking ice. "I pay you to make them go away."
"Arthur is blocking my calls. The judge denied bail because you're a flight risk. You are looking at twenty years, minimum."
Eleanor leaned forward, the harsh fluorescent light casting sharp shadows over her high cheekbones. "Arthur isn't the one in charge anymore."
Richard frowned. "What do you mean? Arthur is the CEO—"
"I saw the way he looked at that waitress," Eleanor interrupted, her mind working furiously. "When the flash drive activated, Arthur backed down. Arthur Sterling never backs down. Unless... unless she had something that trumped him."
Eleanor stood up and began pacing the tiny cell. "Julian told me the drive contained the ultimate leverage. We thought it was evidence of Arthur’s offshore embezzlement. But what if it was something else? What if it was about ownership?"
She stopped and looked at Richard. "Find out who that waitress is. Her real name, her background, everything. And get a message to Victor Thorne."
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Richard’s eyes widened in sheer panic. "Victor? Eleanor, you can't be serious. Thorne is a psychopath. He was ousted from the Sterling Board ten years ago for unethical human trials. If you bring him into this..."
"Do it," Eleanor hissed, slamming her hands on the metal table. "Tell Victor that Arthur's armor has a crack in it. And tell him that if he gets me out of here, I'll hand him the keys to Project Genesis."
