Chapter 10 - The Last Sweep
Arthur Vance walked past his mop bucket one final time. He didn't pick up the handle. He didn't touch the gray cleaning rags.
He slid his arms into the frayed sleeves of his brown wool cardigan, buttoning it up against the air-conditioned chill of the office. To anyone passing him on the street below, he would look like just another tired old man heading home on the evening subway.
He pushed the button for the private express elevator. The glass doors slid open silently.
As he stepped inside, he turned back to look at the forty-second floor.
Maya Lin was already standing at the central desk, gathering Eleanor’s discarded audit reports, her red hair catching the warm glow of the dusk lights. She looked up and met his eyes, giving him a quiet, resolute nod of gratitude.
Arthur smiled, pressing the button for the ground floor.
The glass doors slid shut, cutting off the hum of the office. The lift descended rapidly through the dark shaft of the tower, leaving behind the high-altitude aquarium of suits and corporate intrigue.
Down on the street, the rain had just begun to fall, washing away the grit and grime of the pavement. Arthur stepped out of the lobby doors into the cool night air, pulling his collar up against the wind.
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He was no longer Arthur Vance, the janitor. Nor was he merely Arthur Vance, the billionaire titan.
He was a man who had swept the dust from the glass, revealing the truth hidden beneath the polished floor. And as he disappeared into the crowded city night, the city lights reflected off his eyes—bright, clear, and unyielding.
