Victor arrived at the pier just before midnight. The cold wind sliced through his coat as the East River churned below, dark and restless. Jared had chosen his meeting spot well—a place filled with shadows and a sense of finality. It felt less like a negotiation and more like a reckoning.
Jared was waiting for him at the edge of the pier, leaning against a steel railing, his silhouette stark against the faint glow of the city lights. Victor's footsteps echoed on the wooden planks, and Jared turned, his expression unreadable.
"You made it," Jared said, his tone casual, though his eyes burned with intensity.
"You've been playing games with me all week," Victor replied. "It's time to end this."
Jared smirked, pulling a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it. He took a long drag before responding. "End it? You mean sweep it under the rug like you did with Avalon?"
Victor's patience snapped. "You keep talking about Avalon as if you're some kind of martyr. You think you were the only one who suffered? We both lost in that deal."
Jared's laugh was sharp, almost cruel. "The difference is, you turned your losses into billions. I got nothing but ashes."
Victor stepped closer, his voice lowering to a dangerous tone. "You were naïve, Jared. You thought the world played fair. Avalon failed because it was weak—because you were weak."
Jared flicked the cigarette into the river, his smirk fading. "And you think strength is destroying everyone who gets in your way? Is that what you tell yourself when you look in the mirror?"
Victor didn't answer. His silence spoke volumes, and Jared took a step forward, the anger in his voice barely restrained.
"You betrayed me, Victor. You lied, manipulated, twisted everything until I had no choice but to walk away. And now you want to stand here and act like it was just business?"
"It was business," Victor said coldly. "And if you're so consumed by the past that you can't see that, then you've already lost."
Jared's lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, neither man spoke. The wind howled around them, carrying with it the distant hum of the city that never slept.
Finally, Jared broke the silence. "You don't get it, do you? This isn't just about Avalon. This is about showing the world who you really are—a man who destroys everything he touches. And I'm going to make sure they see it."
Victor's fists clenched, but he kept his voice steady. "And what do you think happens next? You leak your little secrets, and then what? You think you'll come out of this unscathed?"
Jared stepped even closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "I don't care about coming out unscathed. I care about taking you down."
Victor held his ground, meeting Jared's gaze with an icy stare. "You won't win."
Jared smiled faintly, but there was no warmth in it. "I don't have to win, Victor. I just have to make sure you lose."
The two men stood there, locked in a silent battle of wills, until Jared finally stepped back. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the flash drive, holding it up between them.
"This is it," Jared said. "Everything you've tried to bury. All the lies, the deals, the betrayals. It's all here."
Victor's eyes flicked to the flash drive, his mind racing. He could lunge for it, but Jared was faster, more prepared. He couldn't risk a public scene—not here, not now.
"What do you want?" Victor asked, his voice tight.
Jared's smile returned, and this time it was full of venom. "What I've always wanted. Accountability. Step back from Apex, Victor. Publicly. Admit that you're not the untouchable god you pretend to be. Do that, and I'll consider letting this go."
Victor let out a bitter laugh. "You think I'd ever trust you to keep your word?"
Jared shrugged. "Trust me or don't. But you're running out of options."
Victor's jaw tightened as he stared at the flash drive, the symbol of everything he had fought to keep hidden. He had built his empire on ambition and cunning, but now the ghosts of his past threatened to tear it all apart.
"I'll think about it," Victor said finally, his voice icy.
Jared's eyes narrowed. "Don't take too long. The world has a way of moving on without you."
Without another word, Jared turned and walked away, leaving Victor alone on the pier.
The cold wind bit at Victor's skin as he stared out at the dark water. He had always prided himself on his ability to stay one step ahead, to control every variable. But now, for the first time, he felt the ground shifting beneath him.
Jared had drawn the battle lines. And Victor knew that in this war, there would be no winners—only survivors.