Chapter 30 - The Desperate Move
Defeated in federal court and facing investigations from the state attorney general, Alistair Vance’s professional reputation was in absolute ruins. His board of directors at Vanguard Global immediately initiated emergency termination proceedings, stripping him of his executive title and freezing his operational accounts.
Driven by a manic, consuming rage, Alistair decided to bypass the corporate structure entirely. He couldn't let a back-alley dressmaker destroy the elite status he had spent decades building. If the courts wouldn't crush her, he would do it himself.
Late on a rainy Friday night, a black sedan crept down the quiet stretch of Alder Street. Alistair sat in the backseat, his face twisted with malice, clutching a heavy leather briefcase filled with cash. He had hired two desperate local mercenaries with instructions that left no room for error: break into Ashby & Co., steal every master sketch, every financial ledger, and every custom design pattern in the safe, and burn the remainder of the shop to the ground.
As the sedan parked fifty yards away from the boutique, the two hired thugs stepped out into the damp mist, moving stealthily toward the basement stairwell door. They jimmied the lock with practiced ease, slipping silently into the dark, fabric-scented interior.
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They crept down the wooden steps, their flashlights cutting narrow beams through the gloom. They reached the main workshop floor, pulling a heavy canister of industrial accelerant from their duffel bag.
"Drop the canisters," a calm, resonant voice echoed through the dark basement.
