RETURNED FOR VENGEANCE

The Real Masterpiece

Pandemonium broke out in the auditorium as journalists rushed the stage, cameras flashing in Julian’s pale, sweat-drenched face. Chloe tried to shield her face from the reporters, her hands trembling.

"Silence in the room!" the council leader shouted, slamming his gavel down. He glared at Julian with utter disdain. "Mr Julian, your firm is immediately disqualified for gross negligence and submitting dangerous structural plans."

Julian stumbled back from the podium, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "Wait! Please, it was a mistake"

"Step aside," Dante’s deep voice cut through the chaos like a blade.

Dante walked up the steps, plugging a sleek black drive into the podium's terminal. He turned to Aria, extending a hand to guide her to the centre of the stage.

"Now," Dante announced to the silent room, "allow me to present Vance Enterprises' lead architect and the true genius behind the future of our city."

Aria tapped the screen. A magnificent, holographic rendering burst into life above the crowd: a flawless, sweeping coastal sanctuary built with self-sustaining glass and perfectly balanced foundation arches. It was breathtaking, innovative, and structurally bulletproof.

Aria looked straight at Julian, her voice calm and absolute. "This is what real creation looks like."