Chapter 51 The Reckoning

• The decision was made with a quiet, terrifying finality. There would be no more hiding, no more private unpacking. The Aster Memoirs would become a weapon. Our story would become a case.
• Vance, to her credit, did not flinch when we presented her with the digital evidence. She scanned the images on the laptop, her face a stoic mask, but a muscle in her jaw twitched as she read the desperate words scratched into meal trays and dust. When she finished, she closed the lid with a soft, definitive click.
• “This changes the game,” she said, her voice low and charged. “This isn’t just about corporate espionage or attempted murder anymore. This is about the weaponization of the medical and legal system. This is a violation of civil rights on a staggering level.” She looked from me to Alexander. “You understand what this means? Going public with this? There will be no going back. The scrutiny will be… absolute.”