chapter
Chapter 26: The Summit in Geneva
Two weeks later, the Global Economic Summit in Geneva was in full swing. The grand, opulent halls of the convention center were packed with the most powerful CEOs, diplomats, and investors on the planet.
Damian Vane strode through the corridors, projecting an aura of furious, aggressive confidence. His stock was indeed plummeting, his cargo ships were stalled in international waters, but he was determined to secure a massive bailout from a consortium of global banks.
He entered the primary exhibition hall, preparing to deliver a keynote speech to reassure his investors.
Instead, he found the room dead silent.
Standing on the central stage, illuminated by the blinding glare of the spotlights, was Leo Calderon.
The massive digital screens behind Leo were not displaying profit projections or corporate logos. They were displaying high-definition, unedited drone footage of the Oakhaven Valley. The screens showed the armed mercenaries, the dry, cracked earth, and the desperate, thirsty children.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Damian roared, his face flushing crimson as he stormed down the center aisle. "Turn those screens off! Security!"
The security personnel did not move. The audience of global investors remained frozen in their seats, their eyes fixed in horror on the irrefutable evidence of Aetherius Global’s atrocities.
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Leo did not raise his voice. He spoke directly into the microphone, his tone carrying the absolute, chilling authority of a judge reading a final verdict.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Leo said. "The man demanding you fund his company is currently engaging in a systematic, illegal starvation of three hundred thousand innocent people. He is not a businessman. He is a criminal."
