The next morning, Jason entered the conference room early. He stood by the window, watching the city buzz beneath him, the weight of betrayal hanging heavy in his chest.
Ethan Blake entered five minutes later, tall and casual, coffee in hand. He looked relaxed—too relaxed.
"Morning, Jay," Ethan said with a grin. "Heard you wanted to talk."
Jason didn't turn. "Sit down."
Ethan raised an eyebrow but obeyed, sinking into one of the leather chairs. "You look like hell."
Jason finally faced him, placing a tablet on the table. A single video played—an exact copy of the leaked footage with signature 014 flashing in the metadata.
The grin melted off Ethan's face.
"You know what that is," Jason said, voice cold.
Ethan leaned back slowly. "You bugged internal data?"
"No," Jason replied. "We baited rats."
Silence.
Jason stepped forward, every word like a blade.
"You took the payout model. You sent it to Valkyrie Insights, a shell under their portfolio. You thought you were slick."
Ethan looked cornered, but he didn't deny it. "You don't understand. They approached me. They said you were reckless. That you'd burn everything down."
Jason's jaw clenched. "And you believed them?"
"I believed that you forgot what we started this for," Ethan snapped. "It was never supposed to be a tech empire. It was about giving creators control."
Jason's voice dropped an octave. "And your solution was to hand our model to the same people who've monopolized content since 2005?"
Ethan's eyes flickered. "They offered me equity. Not just money. A seat at the table."
Jason gave a grim laugh. "So you sold your soul for a board seat."
A long pause.
"I could expose you," Ethan said, quieter now. "Take this public. You hacked your own people."
Jason leaned in. "And I could have you arrested before lunch."
He tossed a document folder onto the table. "But I'm not going to."
Ethan looked down. Inside were termination papers—and a severance check for ten million dollars.
"What is this?"
"A clean exit," Jason said. "You walk. You disappear. You never say a word."
Ethan stared at him. "Why?"
Jason stood tall.
"Because I remember the guy who once gave me a place to sleep when I had nothing. This is the last time I'll ever repay that debt."
Ethan looked at the check, then back at Jason, guilt clashing with greed.
Jason turned and walked out of the room.
He didn't look back.
---
That night, Jason stood alone at the rooftop bar of one of his hotels.
Naomi joined him, handing him a glass of bourbon.
"Was that the right call?" she asked.
Jason watched the skyline.
"No," he said. "But it was the right ending."
He took a sip, then nodded at the city.
"Now it's time to stop playing defense."
Naomi smiled. "So what's next?"
Jason's eyes narrowed.
"We go after Valkyrie."