Chapter 24 - The Deadbeat’s Deposition
High above Manhattan, in the penthouse suite of Vance Tower, Álvaro Miller poured himself a tumbler of twenty-five-year-old scotch. His hands were still trembling from the press conference, but a manic grin stretched across his face.
"Did you see the television metrics, Julian?" Álvaro laughed, turning to face Julian Vance, who was standing by the floor-to-ceiling glass looking out over the city. "Every major network carried it live! The stock in Vance Dynamics is already stabilizing. The Serrano name is poison now. Lucía won't dare show her face in court!"
Julian didn't turn around. He took a slow sip from his crystal glass, his demeanor chillingly detached. "You did adequately, Álvaro. A bit melodramatic with the handkerchief, but the public loves a repentant deadbeat seeking redemption."
Álvaro’s smile faltered slightly. He set his drink down on the marble bar. "So... our agreement. The ninety-million-dollar judgment Arthur’s lawyers slapped on my personal assets. When does your legal team file the motion to nullify it?"
Julian slowly turned, eyeing Álvaro with a look of pure, unadulterated disgust. "Nullify it? Álvaro, you truly are an intellectual lightweight. You think this operation was designed to save your pitiful bank account?"
A cold bead of sweat rolled down Álvaro’s neck. "What are you talking about? You promised me—"
"I promised to use your testimony to trigger the 2012 Treaty protocols," Julian said, his voice razor-sharp. "Once those two boys are taken into federal custody, they will be transferred to our offshore research facility in Zurich. We will dissect their cognitive architecture—neuron by neuron, algorithm by algorithm. We will harvest the neural keys to commercialize fully synthetic human intellect."
Álvaro swallowed hard, taking a step back. "Dissect? Julian... they're my blood. You said they would just be placed in a specialized state academy—"
"They are biological freaks who humiliated our family and ruined my brother’s empire!" Julian snarled, stepping forward until he was inches from Álvaro’s face. "And as for you, Álvaro... once the tribunal ratifies the seizure tomorrow afternoon, you are completely expendable. If you think you're getting a single cent from Vance Dynamics, you're more delusional than your pathetic ex-wife."
Before Álvaro could answer, the secure landline on Julian’s desk began to beep with an urgent red light.
Julian frowned, stepping past Álvaro to answer it. "What is it?"
"Mr. Vance," his chief counsel’s panicked voice crackled through the speaker. "We have a catastrophic breach. The United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces just accepted an emergency writ of habeas corpus."
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Julian’s knuckles whitened against the receiver. "What? Who filed it? Arthur’s lawyers don't have military tribunal clearance!"
"It wasn't Arthur’s lawyers, sir," the voice stammered. "The filing was submitted directly by two pro se minors: Marcos and Mateo Serrano. And sir... they didn't just file an appeal. They served *you* with a federal treason subpoena."
