Chapter 10 - The Heir's Burden
Three weeks later, the grand hall of the Manhattan Supreme Court was packed with journalists, corporate lawyers, and city officials.
Leo Vance stood at the central podium, dressed in a sharp dark suit. Beside him sat Walter Bennett, looking fragile yet formidable in the front row.
"The Bennett Foundation," Leo announced, his voice echoing clearly through the high-ceilinged courtroom, "will immediately seize control of the development projects formerly managed by Apex Vanguard. We are allocating six hundred million dollars to reinforce the structural foundations of every building flagged in the Vance Audit."
A flurry of reporters shouted questions, their voices overlapping in a deafening din.
"Mr. Vance! Are you qualified to lead a fortune-five-hundred initiative at twenty years old?" one reporter yelled over the crowd.
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Leo looked directly into the camera lenses. He remembered the cold blue light of the rain, the smell of wet wool, and the shivering hands of an old man asking for nothing more than a moment of shelter.
"Leadership isn't about technical expertise," Leo said calmly, his voice cutting through the noise of the courtroom. "It is about knowing what to do when someone is standing in the cold, and having the courage to open the door."
