The Way We Fall | Bruce Wayne

CHAPTER 40 - The Fall

Sara took a deep breath when they arrived to Gotham Tech. She looked out at the tall building that suddenly seemed daunting.

"You're still sure about this?" Bruce asked, intruding her thoughts.

"Yeah," she said, although her voice lacked true confidence. She swung open the door and stepped out onto the concrete sidewalk.

When Bruce walked around to join her, she suddenly felt less prepared and underdressed in the baggy clothes she had received from the hospital. Looking over at him, for a lack of better words, he looked like a million - or more accurately, a billion - bucks. And, glancing at her reflection on the shiny Lamborghini, she looked like a crumpled dollar bill.

Together they walked through the front doors into the lobby. The receptionist did a double take, perhaps unsure of what to think or say upon seeing the missing company executive and the sharp Bruce Wayne. Even more so, she was nervous and unsure of what to do.

Sara continued through the lobby to the elevator as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Bruce followed close beside her, ignoring the dozens of eyes gazing in their direction.

"I'll try to find Mr. Brooks, he's the chairman of the board," she said as the elevator doors slid shut. "Though I can't say he liked me very much to begin with."

"I wonder why," Bruce said with an air of humor and a subtle grin. He was far too familiar with her professional side.

She shot him a sharp glare. "Very funny."

Their stiff postures evidenced just how on edge they both felt, and the dry humor was only natural.

The elevator arrived to the executive floor as Sara's heart pounded. She quickened her pace through the halls until arriving unseen at the chairman's office. Knocking on the door, she held in a breath.

It opened moments later to a stern-faced older man whose eyes widened upon first seeing her, and then the man standing beside her. "Sara Carter?"

"Mr. Brooks, please, if I may have a word with you..."

A darkness fell over his features as he glared at her with suspicion. She quickly felt small, but nevertheless she mustered the determination.

"About Riley, I'm assuming?"

"About the bankruptcy," she said.

Looking over her shoulder, Mr. Brooks extended a hand past her. "Mr. Wayne." He greeted Bruce with a firm handshake.

Bruce only nodded, glaring coldly.

"If you'll excuse us," Mr. Brooks said, moving aside for Sara to enter the office.

She stepped inside, glancing back only to lock eyes with Bruce before the door was shut. Whatever confidence she had leftover quickly began to waver.

"I have to hand it to you, Ms. Carter, you're bold to be coming back here." Mr. Brooks settled into his leather chair as she sat in a seat across from the desk.

"Whatever you've heard, I assure you, it's untrue."

"Quite frankly, it doesn't matter what I think. Investors backed out the moment that news about Riley got out. We've already started liquidating to settle liabilities." He folded his hands on the desk. "And to think he had been conspiring for who knows how long," he added as an afterthought.