At 08.12 am.
The day started like any other day.
The employee got out of the elevator carrying coffee.
The office phone started ringing.
The sound of the printer could be heard from various corners of the room.
Adrian's law firm seemed busy as usual.
No one realized that in less than two hours...
Everything will change.
Maya, the firm's receptionist, was checking her appointment schedule when her phone vibrated.
A news notification appears.
At first he didn't pay much attention.
But a few seconds later his face changed.
His hands were shaking.
"What's this...?"
he whispered.
The headline was very short.
But it was enough to make his blood seem to stop flowing.
A MAN ALLEGEDLY LINKED TO THE VULTURE ORGANIZATION ACTUALLY WORKS FOR A PROMINENT LAW FIRM
Under the title there is a photo.
Adrian's photo.
Five minutes later.
The news started to spread.
Ten minutes later.
Social media started talking about it.
Twenty minutes later.
Adrian's name became the most searched topic on the internet.
Thirty minutes later.
Hell begins.
At 08.47.
Adrian had just entered his study when Samuel entered without knocking.
Samuel's face was pale.
Very pale.
"Adrian."
The tone of her voice was different.
Adrian immediately turned his head.
"What is it?"
Samuel did not answer.
He just handed over his phone.
Adrian read the screen.
And for the first time...
Her expression froze.
Someone has leaked everything.
Not just a name.
Not just photos.
But also old documents.
Photos from the past.
Adrian's relationship with Vulture.
Excerpts from an investigative report.
Even some pictures of the bunker that the police have found.
It's all over the internet.
Everyone can see it.
And the worst...
The information is arranged very neatly.
Very convincing.
It's as if someone deliberately wanted to ensure the public only saw one conclusion.
Adrian is a monster.
"Impossible."
muttered Dion who had just entered a few minutes later.
He continued reading article after article.
They all appeared almost simultaneously.
From various accounts.
Various sites.
Various sources.
Too organized.
Too systematic.
Samuel immediately understood what it meant.
"This was planned."
he said.
"Of course it was planned."
Dion answered.
"Someone is waiting for the right time."
Adrian remained silent.
His gaze was fixed on the screen.
But his mind was already far away.
Because he knows.
This is not a normal leak.
This is an attack.
At 9:15 AM.
The office phone started ringing non-stop.
Maya answered a call.
Then the second call.
Then third.
Fourth.
Fifth.
Everything is the same.
Client.
They all want an explanation.
They all want certainty.
They all want to get away.
"Is it true that he's a former murderer?"
"Why did the firm hide this?"
"Is our data safe?"
"Have we ever worked with criminals?"
Question after question kept coming.
There is no pause.
No chance to breathe.
And more and more news is emerging.
The situation is getting more difficult to control.
Approaching noon.
Some big clients are starting to cancel contracts.
One.
Two.
Five.
Ten.
The number continues to grow.
Samuel sat in the meeting room staring at the cancellation list.
His hands were shaking.
The firm was built over many years.
They work day and night.
Sacrificing many things.
And now it all came crashing down in a matter of hours.
"I can't believe this."
said Dion.
"People don't even want to hear an explanation."
Samuel laughed bitterly.
"Because they don't care about explanations."
He threw some files on the table.
"They care about reputation."
The room fell silent again.
Because everyone knows Samuel is right.
Meanwhile.
In a crowded restaurant.
Sena is having lunch.
Relax.
Calm.
As if nothing happened.
The television in the corner of the room was showing the latest news.
Adrian's face appeared on the screen.
Followed by various speculations.
Various accusations.
Various theories.
Sena watched everything while slowly cutting his steak.
Then smiled.
Not a smile of victory.
Not a smile of joy.
But rather the satisfied smile of someone who sees his plans going according to plan.
Because this is just the beginning.
At 13.40.
A crowd of reporters began to fill the front of the law firm.
Dozens of cameras.
Dozens of microphones.
Dozens of questions.
When Adrian came out of the building with Samuel and Dion, the atmosphere immediately exploded.
"Adrian! Are you a former member of the Vulture?"
"Is it true that you were involved in the murder?"
"Have you been lying to the public all this time?"
"Is this firm covering your identity?"
They kept getting closer.
Keep pushing.
Keep screaming.
Security officers tried to detain them.
But the situation is getting more chaotic.
Adrian didn't answer.
Not even once.
He just walked towards the car.
But his silence only made things worse.
Because the media took it as a confession.
And the public likes simple conclusions.
That night.
Social media was filled with comments.
Some are angry.
Some are afraid.
Some demanded that the firm be closed.
Even people who didn't know Adrian commented.
They judge.
They concluded.
They punish.
Without knowing the whole story.
The next morning.
The situation is getting worse.
Some employees resigned.
Some others asked for leave.
Some don't even come to work.
The usually crowded firm now feels empty.
The alleys that were once busy are now quiet.
The tables began to be abandoned.
And for the first time...
Samuel looked completely desperate.
"We lost thirty percent of our clients."
he said.
Then a few minutes later he received a new report.
Forty percent.
Then fifty.
The number continues to increase.
Like a ship that is slowly sinking.
In his room.
Adrian sat alone.
He didn't open the laptop.
Didn't read the report.
Do nothing.
His gaze was blank.
Not because of anger.
Not because of fear.
But because he recognized this pattern.
Know him too well.
Vulture used to do similar things.
Destroy someone without touching them.
Taking his reputation.
Taking his trust.
Taking everything he had.
Until the person destroys himself.
And now...
Someone was doing the same thing to him.
Towards evening.
Samuel entered Adrian's room.
For a moment they did not speak.
Just sit in silence.
Then Samuel took a deep breath.
"I have to be honest."
Adrian nodded slowly.
"Say it."
Samuel stared at the table.
Not Adrian.
Because he couldn't even bear to look at his own best friend.
"The board of partners wants your name removed from the firm."
The sentence sounded like a hammer hitting the room.
The silence that followed felt much heavier.
A few seconds passed.
Then Adrian nodded.
Not angry.
Not surprised.
As if he had expected it.
"That's a sensible decision."
he said softly.
Samuel immediately raised his head.
"No."
"It doesn't make sense."
"Damn, Adrian."
Samuel's voice began to tremble.
"You built this place with us."
"But they are afraid."
Adrian answered calmly.
And that's what made Samuel even more frustrated.
Because Adrian didn't even try to defend himself.
At another place.
Sena was standing on the roof of a parking building.
The afternoon sky was gray.
The wind is blowing hard.
In his hand was a tablet displaying the latest news.
Law Firm Threatened with Bankruptcy Due to Adrian Scandal
He read the title slowly.
Then turn off the screen.
His gaze turned to the city skyline.
And for the first time since this all began...
Her smile disappeared.
Because what he felt was not happiness.
But hope.
Hope that this wound is deep enough.
Hope that this loss is painful enough.
The hope that Adrian had finally begun to crack.
Because according to Sena...
An ordinary human named Adrian was born from tranquility.
From normal life.
From relationships with other people.
So all of that must be destroyed.
One by one.
Meanwhile.
On the top floor of a law firm that is now almost empty...
Adrian stood in front of the window.
The city looks the same as yesterday.
But his life was no longer the same.
The phone stopped ringing.
The corridor became quiet.
Many doors have closed.
Many tables are already empty.
The firm that was once their home is now slowly dying.
And Adrian just stood there watching everything.
Without realizing that elsewhere...
Someone is watching the fall with hope.
Because for Sena...
This is not the end.
This is not revenge.
This is just the first step.
A blow designed to destroy Adrian's life bit by bit.
Until one day...
When everything has been taken.
When everyone has left.
When there is nothing left to hold on to.
Then the man named Adrian will disappear.
And from the ruins of his life...
Sena hopes an old figure will rise again.
Vulture.