"Tell me, Leo Wallace."
Frank leveled the accusation.
"What's the difference between you and that bastard Carter Wright?!"
The words struck Leo's heart like a sledgehammer.
A difference?
To an outsider, perhaps there really was no difference.
Both sold out the public interest. Both colluded with oligarchs. Both made dirty deals in back rooms.
Leo looked at Frank.
He saw anger, but more than that, he saw hurt.
This old man had seen him as a symbol of hope. Now, he felt betrayed.
Leo stood up straight.
He straightened the collar Frank had grabbed and wrinkled.
He didn't shrink back, nor did he lower his head in shame.
He raised his head and looked Frank straight in the eye.
His gaze was cold and hard.
"The difference is this."
Leo began to speak.
"When Carter Wright sold the port, the money went into his own pocket, or it became a personal political donation from Morganfield."
"But when I sold the port, I got five hundred million US Dollars in bonds in return!"
