Chapter 8 - The Awakening
The silence in the room was absolute.
Julian Vance slowly put his phone in his pocket. He turned to look at Victoria. The charismatic, charming media mogul was gone. In his place was a cold, ruthless businessman who realized he had let a viper into his home.
"Julian, I... it's a deepfake," Victoria stammered, backing away. "The boy is deranged!"
"Pack your things," Julian said, his voice dropping to a terrifyingly quiet register. "If you are not off my property in ten minutes, the police I'm about to call will be arresting you for filing a false report."
Victoria fled.
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Julian stood alone in the massive living room. He looked at the TV screen, which had switched to a live feed of the basement. Leo was sitting in the security chair, crying silently, bracing himself for punishment.
Julian felt something shatter in his chest. The carefully constructed wall he had built between himself and his son's reality crumbled. He had been so obsessed with making Leo fit into his world, he had never once tried to step into Leo's.
