Chapter 6 - The Ghost of Chicago
The executive elevator descended in complete silence.
Hannah watched the floor numbers flash rapidly above the polished metal doors.
She could feel the overwhelming tension radiating from Ethan.
He stood rigidly in the corner of the small space.
His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles were stark white.
"Ethan, you have to talk to me," Hannah said gently.
She took a cautious step toward him.
"What did Victor mean about Chicago?"
Ethan let out a long, heavy sigh.
He leaned the back of his head against the cool elevator wall.
"It happened five years ago, right after I graduated from business school," Ethan began softly.
"My father put me in charge of our newest logistics division in the Midwest."
"I was young, arrogant, and eager to prove I could handle the family empire."
"I signed off on a massive warehouse development project without fully vetting the contractors."
Hannah listened intently, her heart aching at the pain in his voice.
"The contractors used substandard steel to cut costs," Ethan continued, his voice trembling slightly.
"A winter storm hit during the final phase of construction."
"The roof collapsed entirely."
"A night watchman was trapped under the rubble for three days."
Hannah gasped softly, covering her mouth with her uninjured hand.
"Did he survive?" she asked nervously.
"He did," Ethan nodded, swallowing hard.
"But he was permanently paralyzed from the waist down."
"I wanted to take full public responsibility and ensure his family was compensated for life."
"But Beatrice stepped in."
"She convinced my father that a public scandal would bankrupt the entire company."
"They paid off the safety inspectors to falsify the collapse reports."
"They made it look like an unpredictable natural disaster rather than structural negligence."
"They forced me to sign non-disclosure agreements and threatened to disown me if I spoke up."
Ethan looked down at the floor, absolutely crushed by his own guilt.
"Beatrice kept all the original, unaltered inspector reports in a hidden safe."
"She has used them to blackmail me ever since my father passed away."
"If she releases those documents, I will go to federal prison for corporate manslaughter."
The elevator doors chimed and slid open to the bustling lobby.
Hannah reached out and gently grabbed Ethan's arm.
May you like
"We are not going to let her destroy you," Hannah said with absolute conviction.
"We are going to find those documents first."
