Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-two
Malachi's POV
I spent the morning visiting families.
Three engineers. Three widows. Children who'd lost fathers. Lives destroyed because someone had sabotaged equipment and made it look like an accident.
The compensation packages were generous. More than generous. Life insurance. College funds. Monthly stipends. Healthcare. Everything they'd need to rebuild.
But money didn't bring back the dead. Didn't erase the grief. Didn't answer the question that haunted every conversation.
Why?
Mrs. Rodriguez cried when I handed her the paperwork. Said her husband had been careful. That he'd checked every piece of equipment twice. That he'd never made mistakes.
Mr. Kim's widow just stared at me. Empty. Hollow. Like she'd already used up all her tears.
And Mrs. Chen. Victoria Chen. She'd looked at me with knowing eyes. Like she understood more than she was saying.
