Chapter 8

The Municipal Building lobby smelled of industrial floor wax and the metallic tang of a dying institution. Leo stood behind the mahogany reception desk, his knuckles white against the navy-blue folder. Outside the glass doors, the low, rhythmic murmur of displaced tenants had curdled into a roar.

Across the polished marble, the Enforcer—Chen—had dropped the mask of the civil servant. His suit jacket hung open, revealing the sharp, utilitarian edge of a radio holster. He wasn't here to audit. He was here to liquidate.

“Mr. Chen, you are trespassing on a public inquiry,” Leo said. His voice didn't shake, though the heat of Aunt Mei’s presence at his shoulder felt like a brand.

“The inquiry ended when you decided to play revolutionary, Leo,” Chen replied. He stepped over the velvet rope, his movements predatory. “You have property that belongs to the Association. Hand it over, and we can discuss your exit strategy.”

Leo looked down at the folder. It contained the schematics of the displacement, the signatures of the shell companies, and the proof that his father hadn't just been a broker of debts—he had been an architect of resistance. If this hit the press, Vanguard’s foundation would crack.

Leo didn't answer. He reached under the desk and triggered the fire alarm. The screech of the siren was a physical blow, turning the lobby into a chaotic flow of bodies. In the confusion, he and Mei slipped through the side exit, vanishing into the rain-slicked alleyway behind the Association storefront.

Safe for a heartbeat, they huddled against the brickwork. Mei prie

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