Page 49 of Deadly Legacy
“About that vision,” Dmitrii cut in, his eyes never leaving Reuben’s face. “There are some things you should know about your potential partner.”
The air conditioning hummed loudly in the sudden silence that followed. Reuben kept his expression carefully neutral, despite the growing unease in his chest.
“Mr. Miroslav,” Anya Meyers interjected, “we’re here to finalize terms, not discuss corporate politics.”
“This goes beyond politics,” Dmitrii replied. “It’s about integrity. Don’t you think you deserve to know when you’re being deceived?”
Reuben caught the quick glance Charlotte shot toward Dmitrii, confusion flickering across her features.
“For instance,” Dmitrii continued, “did you know that Reuben here has been working with Wallace while pretending to compete against him?”
The Quantize Guard founders exchanged uneasy looks.
“That’s not true,” Reuben said calmly. “Wallace and I haven’t had a personal relationship in years.”
“Then what’s this?” Dmitrii pulled out his phone, sliding it across the table. On the screen was a surveillance photo of Reuben and Wallace at Vasilisa, deep in conversation.
“Where did you get that?” Reuben’s voice hardened.
“The same place I got this.” Dmitrii pressed a button on his phone. Reuben’s voice filled the room, tinny but clear through the phone’s speaker: “You’re suggesting we partner on the acquisition?”
Then Wallace’s voice: “My firm would be the public face of the deal. And your team would handle the technical evaluation and integration planning.”
The recording stopped with a click. Dmitrii’s smile widened at the shocked expressions around the table. “Family business, it seems.”
The sharp scrape of Charlotte’s chair against the floor cut through the tension as she turned toward Reuben. “What is the meaning of this?”
“I think,” Dmitrii said, rising to his feet, “that father and son have been playing us all.”
“That’s not quite accurate,” came a voice from the doorway.
Wallace stood there, his elegant suit slightly rumpled, a day’s growth of beard shadowing his jaw. A cut above his eyebrow had crusted with dried blood.
The shock on Dmitrii’s face lasted only a millisecond before his composure returned. “Wallace. What a surprise.”
Wallace stepped into the room, his movements stiff. His eyes found Charlotte’s, and something passed between them—not warmth, but recognition of shared history.
“Charlotte.” Wallace nodded curtly. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Clearly.” Her voice was brittle. “I was promised a networking opportunity with the senator’s wife. Not... whatever this is.”
“Dmitrii has been lying to all of us,” Wallace said, turning to the Quantize Guard founders. “He doesn’t want to invest in your technology. He wants to use your facial recognition software to track people throughout the city.”
Dmitrii’s laugh was cold. “And now the desperate lies begin.”
“Are they lies?” Wallace reached slowly into his jacket pocket, producing a small notebook. “The notebook contains records of every illegal transaction you’ve forced me into over the past six months. Including your plans for Quantize Guard.”
The color drained from Dmitrii’s face.“Now!”he barked into his sleeve, the word echoing off the glass walls of the conference room.
Stepan moved instantly, positioning himself between Reuben and the door. Jacob and Anya rose from their seats,backing away from the table. Outside in the hallway, the heavy thud of running footsteps grew louder.
“What is happening?” Charlotte demanded, her voice rising. “Wallace, what have you done?”
“What I’ve always done,” Wallace replied bitterly. “Business. Only this time, I chose the wrong partner.”
Dmitrii’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. “You’ve betrayed me for the last time.”
“Your dealings always destroy my good name,” Charlotte hissed at her ex-husband, her social mask cracking under stress. “My husband’s campaign will be ruined by this—this mess you’ve created!”
