The room was packed with reporters, cameras flashing and microphones pointed forward. Ethan stood at the podium, his jaw firm, his voice clear and steady.
"I want to address a serious matter," he said. "A new development project in Charleston is using my name and forged documents to suggest I am part of the project. I am not. I have no association with the warehouse project near the riverfront. This is an attempt to damage my reputation and sabotage my company."
A low murmur ran through the press crowd.
Ethan continued, "We have evidence that my signature was forged and that the company behind this development is linked to offshore accounts and shell corporations with past ties to criminal investigations."
Gasps rippled through the crowd now. The tension in the air thickened.
"I have submitted this evidence to the authorities," Ethan added. "And I intend to pursue all legal avenues to protect myself, my company, and the people of Charleston from corruption disguised as business."
He stepped back from the podium. Victoria took his place and gave a brief rundown of the fraudulent activities, showing visual slides of the fake documents and tracing the money trail back to the Cayman Islands.
Alicia stood off to the side, hands clasped tightly, watching Ethan. She knew how dangerous it was to challenge someone like Julian Sloane in public. But she also knew Ethan wouldn't back down.
When the conference ended, Ethan, Victoria, and Alicia walked quickly back into the building, away from the noise and chaos of reporters.
"Well done," Victoria said as they entered the elevator. "You were calm, direct, and firm. It's going to play well."
"I hope so," Ethan muttered. "But now Julian knows I'm coming for him."
Across town, Julian Sloane stood in front of a television inside his sleek, temporary office. He watched Ethan's press conference with a slight smirk.
"He's bold," Julian said. "I'll give him that."
Darren King, his right-hand man, leaned against the wall with a frown. "He's also got the public on his side now. This could blow back hard."
Julian turned off the TV. "Let it. The more noise he makes, the more mistakes he'll make. All I have to do is wait."
Darren crossed his arms. "But what if he doesn't make a mistake?"
Julian walked to the window, staring out at the city skyline. "Everyone makes mistakes when they're angry. Ethan just declared war in front of the cameras. Now he has to win. Or he loses everything."
Back at The Forge, Ethan and Victoria sat down with their attorney, Thomas Greer, to plan their next legal steps.
"We filed the injunction this morning," Greer said. "Construction at the warehouse site should be halted by the end of the day. If they continue after that, it becomes criminal trespass."
"Good," Ethan said. "But it's not enough. We need to hit him harder."
Greer looked cautious. "Julian's good at hiding. Even with the forged documents, proving he's the mastermind behind this will take time."
"I don't care how long it takes," Ethan said. "We keep digging."
Victoria leaned forward. "What if we flip one of his people? Someone inside the project who's scared or tired of hiding."
Greer nodded. "That could work. But they'd need real incentive—and protection."
Ethan thought for a moment. "Nolan's been watching the site. Maybe he's seen something we missed."
"I'll talk to him," Victoria said.
That night, Victoria met with Nolan Grant in a small diner on the edge of town. He was seated at a corner booth, wearing a plain hoodie and dark jeans. He looked like just another customer, but his eyes were sharp and alert.
"Got something," he said before she even sat down.
Victoria slid into the seat across from him. "Let's hear it."
"There's a guy working on the site—name's Cole Warden. He's one of Julian's project managers. Been with him for years, but I noticed something odd."
"Go on," Victoria said.
"Yesterday, he got into an argument with Darren King. Loud. Heated. Cole stormed off and didn't return for hours. Looked shaken when he came back."
Victoria's eyes narrowed. "You think he's close to breaking?"
Nolan nodded. "He's the weak link."
"Then we need to get to him," she said. "Quietly."
The next day, Ethan and Victoria arranged a discreet meeting with Cole Warden at a quiet parking lot near an abandoned grocery store. Nolan had tracked Cole and convinced him to show up by hinting that he could protect himself if he switched sides.
Cole Warden was in his mid-40s, with a tired face and nervous eyes. He kept glancing around, checking for tails.
"This is crazy," Cole said. "If Julian finds out I'm talking to you—"
"He won't," Ethan said calmly. "You're not the first person he's used. But you can be the first to help stop him."
"I didn't know he was going to forge documents," Cole muttered. "I was told this was a simple real estate flip. Build condos, make profit. Then the threats started. Do it or else. I couldn't leave. I still can't."
"You can," Victoria said firmly. "We can protect you. We can get you immunity if you testify. But we need real proof."
Cole hesitated, breathing heavily. Then he reached into his coat and pulled out a flash drive.
"This has everything," he whispered. "Blueprints, emails, voice memos. Even a recording of Julian talking about forging your signature."
Ethan's heart raced. "You've been holding on to this?"
"For insurance," Cole said. "Now I want out. I'm done being his pawn."
Ethan took the flash drive. "You just did the right thing."
Back at headquarters, Victoria plugged the flash drive into a secure laptop. The files were all there. Dozens of emails, documents, audio files, and even a few scanned contracts.
Ethan listened closely as a recording played.
Julian's voice was smooth and deliberate: "Add Ethan Blake's name. Use the signature from the 2019 water district contract. Make it clean. By the time he finds out, we'll be too far along to stop."
Victoria looked up. "That's our bullet."
Thomas Greer arrived within the hour. Once he reviewed the contents of the drive, he smiled for the first time in days.
"This is more than enough," he said. "We'll file criminal charges by tomorrow morning."
Ethan nodded, but his expression remained serious. "We need to do more than just get him arrested. We need to make sure he never comes back."
The next morning, Julian Sloane received a call.
"We have a problem," Darren King said, voice tense. "Cole Warden's gone. He disappeared last night."
Julian's jaw clenched. "And?"
"I think he flipped."
Julian didn't speak for a long moment. Then he let out a quiet, cold laugh.
"Of course he did," he said. "That coward was always a weak link."
"What now?" Darren asked.
Julian's tone changed. It was darker now.
"Get the documents. Burn everything. Wipe the servers. We're not going down for this."
But it was too late.
By midday, police raided the warehouse site with warrants. Construction halted immediately. Julian's office was also raided, and several employees were taken in for questioning.
The story broke on the evening news:
> "Breaking: Developer Julian Sloane under investigation for fraud, forgery, and conspiracy. Evidence suggests he forged documents and used shell companies to push through illegal development projects in Charleston…"
The camera cut to Ethan standing outside the courthouse.
"We stood our ground," he said. "And we exposed the truth."
That night, Ethan, Alicia, and Victoria gathered in the rooftop garden of The Forge building. The city lights sparkled below, the night air warm and calm.
"We did it," Alicia said, smiling for the first time in days.
"Not all of it," Ethan said. "But we're close."
Victoria held up a glass of champagne. "To the fall of the empire."
Ethan clinked glasses with them. "And the rise of something better."
For the first time in a long while, Ethan Blake allowed himself to feel hope again.
But he knew Julian Sloane wasn't done just yet.
And neither was he.