Chapter 5 - The Digital Execution
By Thursday afternoon, the standard text algorithm on social media platforms began to hum with a bizarre, anonymous leak. A verified corporate whistle-blower account on Facebook had posted a series of high-definition screenshots of bank transactions and empty shipping manifests, all bearing the digital signature of Jason Thornton.
Inside the Thornton mansion, the atmosphere was thick with a panicked, chaotic energy. Corporate lawyers were rushing through the hallways, and Vivian Thornton was screaming into her phone from the central library.
Jason burst into Ethan’s bedroom, his face an ugly shade of red, sweat soaking through his designer shirt. I was sitting quietly by the bed, reading a book, while Ethan lay perfectly still beneath the sheets, playing the dead man with terrifying perfection.
"You!" Jason roared, lunging forward and grabbing me by the arms, shaking me violently. "You leaked those files! You were the only one asking about the Macau manifests!"
"Let her go, Jason."
The voice didn't come from the door. It didn't come from a speaker.
It came from the bed.
Jason froze, his eyes widening in absolute, paralyzing horror as he slowly turned his head.
Ethan was sitting up. He pulled the medical sensors off his chest with a slow, deliberate movement, tossing them onto the floorboards. He slid his legs out of the bed, standing up to his full six-foot-three height. Although his body was lean from months of sleep, his presence was so immense, so terrifyingly authoritative, that Jason stumbled backward, hitting the vanity table and knocking over a crystal vase.
"You... you're awake..." Jason whispered, his voice cracking like a terrified child. "That's impossible... the doctors said your brain activity was zero..."
"The doctors were paid by you, Jason," Ethan said, taking a step forward, his eyes burning with a lethal fury that made the entire room feel ten degrees colder. "I've been awake for days. I watched you walk into my room, I heard you threaten my wife, and I personally sent the encryption keys of your Macau ledger to the federal prosecutors this morning."
Before Jason could reach for the door, the heavy handles clicked, and four federal marshals, backed by the estate's newly appointed private security force, stepped into the room.
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"Jason Thornton, you are under arrest for corporate fraud, grand larceny, and the attempted murder of Ethan Thornton," the lead marshal declared, unclipping a pair of heavy steel handcuffs.
Jason screamed, cursing and fighting as the marshals dragged him out of the room, his boots scraping against the marble hallway until his voice faded into the distance.
