Chapter 10 - THE FALL OF THE DOUBLE AGENT
Within twenty-four hours of Sophie’s digital payload hitting the secure servers of national security reporters, the federal grand jury proceedings involving Veronica Vance were abruptly suspended.
The Department of Justice issued a terse, two-sentence press release stating that all pending testimony from the witness had been deemed "compromised and unreliable" due to a breach in classified operational protocols.
Veronica Vance vanished into the federal prison system, her name erased from public dockets, her espionage career ended not by a bullet, but by exposure.
In the penthouse office of Callahan Tower, the news played quietly on the muted television screen in the corner.
Christian stood by the desk, pouring two glasses of scotch. He handed one to Sophie, his eyes filled with profound respect.
"You outsmarted the federal intelligence community," Christian said, raising his glass. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."
"Just keep ordering the truffles and the good wine, Mr. Callahan, and we'll get along fine," Sophie teased, clinking her glass against his.
The winter snow began to fall outside the glass windows, dusting the Chicago skyline in a blanket of pristine white.
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The city below them hummed with life—a sprawling empire of docks, boardrooms, and streets ruled by a man who had finally found his equal.
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