Alexander's response arrived exactly three days later, precisely as Lucas had predicted.
Harrison Wells appeared in the lobby of Chen Tower at 9:00 AM, carrying the same Italian leather briefcase and wearing the same practiced smile. But this time, his posture had shifted—the subtle tension Lucas had noted during his second visit was gone, replaced by something that looked almost like resignation. Alexander had accepted the terms, and his attorney knew it.
"The seventeen-word statement," Wells said, settling into the chair across from my desk. "My client has agreed to your terms. He will provide the seventeen names, along with supporting evidence for each individual's involvement in his network. In exchange, you will provide the statement to the parole board. Seventeen words. No emotional language. No character assessment. Just the facts."
"Alexander agreed to all of our terms?" I asked.
