Chapter 12 - Interrogation

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Adrien’s Perspective.

I summoned Victor to the underground bunker beneath the new estate. When he walked in, he looked relaxed, arrogant, completely unaware that his execution date had arrived.

"Adrien, what's going on?" Victor asked, glancing at the sterile concrete walls. "You said it was an emergency."

I sat in the shadows, twirling my pistol on the metal table.

"Do you remember the night Blackthorn fell, Victor?" I asked softly, my voice barely containing the lethal rage beneath it.

Victor stiffened slightly, a micro-expression of unease flashing across his scarred face. "Of course I do. Why?"

"Pike," I said, leaning forward into the dim light. "You said you found him dead in the stairwell."

"I did."

"Interesting," I murmured. "Because I just received an interesting piece of audio. I'd like you to listen to it."

I tapped my phone on the table. The ten-second clip played aloud.

Victor’s face drained of all color. The arrogant swagger evaporated, replaced by absolute, primal terror. He took a step back toward the locked steel door.

"Adrien... that's... that's manipulated. AI. Deepfake. Someone is trying to set us up!" he stammered, raising his hands.

"Who?" I roared, slamming my fists onto the table as I stood up. "Who is setting you up? The woman whose ashes we supposedly buried? The wife you told me hired mercenaries to kill her own child?"

"Adrien, you have to listen to me!"

I didn't let him finish. I raised the pistol and shot him directly in the left kneecap.

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Victor collapsed, screaming in agony, clutching his shattered leg.

"Who sent this, Victor?" I walked around the table, pressing the hot barrel of the gun against his forehead. "Because if you don't tell me right now, the next one goes through your teeth."