A suffocating silence stretched across the grand dining hall. The security operators remained frozen, hands locked onto weapons, waiting for a single gesture from their director to clear the floor.Slowly, Director Vance pulled his eyes away from Tinny and focused entirely on Zarek, a bitter frown carving into his weathered face. He recognized Zarek’s tactical play. By walking in without visible backup, Zarek wasn't being reckless; he was broadcasting terrifying confidence, letting Vance know he didn't need an army to handle House Vance.With a sharp exhale, Vance deliberately leaned his cane against the table. The rigid tension left his features as he forced them back into a cold, corporate mask."Sit down, Zarek," Vance commanded, his low, raspy growl echoing off the crystalline chandelier. He flicked his wrist toward two empty leather chairs opposite his wall of guards. "We didn't come here to discuss my security budget. Sit, before I decide this meeting is a waste of my time

The movement was slow, deliberate, carrying the heavy weight of an apex predator marking its territory."If you're trying to invent a connection between my operations and the ghosts of your past failures, you're reaching," Zarek said. "House Blackwood handles its business in the present. I don't care who you knew ten years ago, Director. It has nothing to do with why we are at this table."Vance didn't blink. He lowered the silver knife, letting the blade rest against the porcelain with a soft, ominous clink."Is that so?" Vance’s raspy voice dropped into a low frequency that vibrated through the grand hall. Ignoring Tinny, he kept his razor-sharp gaze anchored entirely on Zarek. The old director leaned back, a single finger tapping the metal handle of his cane. "You can play the ignorant upstart all you want, Mr. Blackwood, but it is entirely too obvious what is happening here. You brought your brother for one reason.”He paused, studying Zarek's expression.“You are using the boy

He tapped his medical brace with a smug grin. "You're nothing but trash from a powerful family, and we are finally sweeping you out. Enjoy the basement, because you and your brother are never seeing the light of day again."Tinny tried to speak, his jaw twitching, but only a low, dry hiss escaped his throat.Valerius laughed louder, stepping back as the elevator doors slid shut.The two guards looked down at the motionless brothers as the lift vibrated, descending into the sub-levels."So, what are we actually doing with them at the bottom?" the younger guard asked, adjusting his rifle strap. "The Director just said to secure them."The older guard let out a dry, chilling laugh. "What do you think, rookie? Think back to the Riggs family managers last year when they tried to block our transit lines. The Director threw them into this exact basement.""And they never came back up," the younger one muttered, a shiver passing through his shoulders."Exactly. Once the doors lock down ther

Hearing they were going for his sister, Zarek remained perfectly still, but beneath his closed eyelids, a cold, killing intent flashed."Go," Vance commanded, his voice flat. "Send the extraction team and grab her. Let's get this over with quickly."The guard nodded, ready to cut the transmission, but Vance kept talking, his eyes drifting as if thinking aloud."Once we have her, I am going to figure out exactly why these brothers were targeting my shipping lines," Vance murmured, his fingers tightening on his cane. "I need to know if they are connected to some old family I dealt with, or if I systematically eliminated one of their relatives years ago." He paused, letting out a dry, raspy sigh that rattled through the speaker. "I have buried so many people over the last thirty years to keep House Vance at the top. Broken so many minor houses, erased so many names from the registry, that I don't remember half of them. If these Blackwoods are just the angry ghosts of some old administr