CHAPTER SIX HUNDRED AND FORTY EIGHT – THE ARCHITECT

For the next hour, Jasmine and Marco laid out everything they knew. The offshore accounts, the shell companies, the web of corruption that all led back to Thompson. With each revelation, the Senator seemed to shrink in his seat. "What do you want from me?" Thompson finally asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Jasmine's eyes bored into him. "We want the truth. About Phoenix Rising, about the person pulling the strings. Tell us about The Architect." Thompson's head snapped up, fear evident in his eyes. "How do you... No, I can't. You don't understand what you're dealing with." Marco leaned in, his voice low and dangerous. "Then help us understand, Senator. Because right now, you're the only thing standing between us and the truth." Thompson looked from Marco to Jasmine, desperation clear on his face. "You have no idea what this person is capable of. The reach, the power... I never wanted to be part of this, but I didn't have a choice." "You always have a choice," Jasmine said f