Victor Langeston West immediately took a deep breath and stood up, “No need to worry Peterson, I will escort her myself to the gate.” Victor Langeston West immediately said as he showed Abigail Clark the way out of the West family mansion.The heavy oak door closed behind them with a muted thud, sealing off the warmth and light of the mansion's interior. Outside, the evening had deepened into full darkness, the kind of thick, velvety night that seemed to swallow sound and movement alike.The West estate's grounds stretched before them, meticulously maintained lawns now shadowed and mysterious under the dim glow of strategically placed pathway lights that created small pools of illumination in the surrounding darkness. The air had cooled considerably, carrying with it the faint scent of jasmine from the gardens and something else—the crisp, clean smell that preceded rain.Victor Langeston West walked beside Abigail Clark in silence initially, his hands clasped behind his back, his tal

Abigail Clark immediately took a deep breath before answering the question."The belief that I'm doing something that matters," Abigail Clark said simply. "And now, the hope that maybe I've finally found someone who can actually use what I've uncovered to bring the Hartwells down. You have resources I don't have, Master West.”“You have connections, money, legal expertise through Mr. Freeman. You also have personal motivation—they destroyed your family too. Together, we might actually succeed where I would certainly fail alone.”Victor Langeston West immediately absorbed this, recognizing the calculated nature of her approach.She had assessed him, determined he was her best option, and made her move accordingly. It was pragmatic, strategic—and entirely rational given her circumstances."Let me shift topics," Victor Langeston West immediately said."Tell me about your relationship with the Hartwells before everything fell apart. You said you worked at Hartwell Media for three years. W

Abigail Clark stared at the gate, almost now very anxious to leave the West family safe house, but she had respect for Victor Langston West and really wanted to help him take down all his enemies including Lord Vandel,Tai Vandel and his in-laws, the Hartwell's family."Yes. I obtained the FDA submission documents through a Freedom of Information Act request—those are public records once a drug is approved. I then compared those submissions to the internal research reports.”“The discrepancy is clear and documented. Specific adverse events that appeared in internal reports are simply absent from the FDA submissions. I can prove that Hartwell had information about risks that they deliberately did not disclose to regulators.""Excellent," Victor Langston West immediately said, his mind already racing with how this evidence could be used."Now, the second category, the opioid crisis. You mentioned promotional materials targeting high-prescription doctors. Do you have these materials? Can

For the first time, Abigail Clark's professional mask slipped slightly, revealing something more personal underneath. "I wanted to tell stories that mattered. I wanted to expose injustice, to give voice to people who couldn't advocate for themselves. Journalism seemed like a way to do that, to be a watchdog, to hold powerful people accountable, to make a difference.""And was it? Did journalism live up to that ideal?” Victor Langston West immediately asked, his voice was laced with a mixture of authority and determination as he asked."Sometimes," Abigail Clark said quietly. "When I was allowed to do real journalism, yes. I broke stories about local corruption, about environmental violations, about consumer fraud.”“Small stories, mostly, but they mattered. They resulted in changes in accountability. That's what I thought working for Hartwell Media would be, a chance to do investigative journalism on a bigger scale, with more resources and a wider reach.""Instead, you found yourself

Abigail Clark immediately smiled at Victor Langston West, something she hadn't done since she had arrived at the West family mansion."I'll do my best," she said. Then, with a final nod, she turned and walked through the gates, disappearing into the darkness beyond with the kind of practiced stealth that came from months of hiding.Victor Langeston West immediately watched her go, his hand unconsciously closing around the USB drive in his pocket. Then he activated the gate controls, watching as the iron barriers swung shut again, sealing off the estate from the outside world.But even as the gates closed, Victor Langeston West knew that something fundamental had changed tonight. For years, he'd been planning, preparing, gathering resources, but without a clear path to actually destroying the Hartwells. Now he had that path. Now he had the ammunition he needed.The war was about to begin.He turned and walked back toward the mansion, his mind already racing with plans and strategies.