Leo had lived in the shadow of 4A for three years. Not literally, but financially. Richard Vance was the kind of neighbor who made you feel poor without saying a word. Italian marble foyer? Richard paid for the upgrade. Roof garden? Richard’s name was on the donor plaque.
“I’m not here to fight,” Richard continued. “I’m here to negotiate. You have my confession. I have yours. I recorded every note you slipped under my door. Every withdrawal from my account that traces to your fake LLC. We both go to prison, or we both walk away.”
Richard pointed to the window. Two men in dark suits were standing on the sidewalk below, looking up. “Those are my lawyers. And that unmarked van? Forensic accountants. I’ve been playing dead for six months, Leo. I let you blackmail me so I could build a case for entrapment against my real enemies. You were just a bonus.” Blackmailing My Neighbor -v2024-08-02- -Completed-
Version v2024-08-02 - Completed.
He didn’t mean to spy. But his fire escape wrapped around the building’s corner, stopping just two feet from Richard’s bathroom window, which was cracked open an inch. Leo had lived in the shadow of 4A for three years
Through the gap, Leo saw Richard Vance—the king of 4A—on his knees. Not praying. Downloading. His shaking fingers dragged a folder labeled “Client_Data_2024” into a burner USB stick. On the screen behind him, a resignation letter to his own company was open, admitting to embezzlement.
It was a Tuesday, 2:00 AM, when Leo’s luck turned venomous. Italian marble foyer
He couldn’t sleep. The hum of his cheap air conditioner finally died, and in the sudden silence, he heard a sound from the unit next door. Not the usual muffled television or the clink of a whiskey glass. A voice. Low. Desperate.
Sometimes Leo checks the news. No arrests. No scandals. Just silence.
