"You think this is a joke, Zarek?! You're locked in a cage! We can make your life an absolute hell, and you're sitting here acting like you own the place!" Valerius paced, getting angrier by the second. "You talk right now, or I swear I'll have the guards drag both of you to the execution floor!"While Valerius fumed, Zarek casually leaned back in his chair. He looked past the raging young man and fixed his eyes directly on Director Vance."Have you heard about my sister?" Zarek asked, his voice calm. "Or seen her?"Vance flinched. The sudden question hit him like a physical blow, his cold eyes widening for a brief second before his jaw tightened.Zarek noticed the reaction immediately.A slow, wide grin spread across his face as he watched the two powerful men lose their composure."Is she giving you a headache right now?" Zarek asked, his tone dripping with quiet amusement. "Is it because of her that you came to see me?"Valerius stopped mid-yell, his mouth opening and closing as

With a final, furious hiss, Valerius stomped out of the cell, bitterly complaining under his breath as he followed his father into the observation corridor. The heavy security doors sealed shut, locking with a heavy metallic clank that left the basement cell silent once more.Zarek and Tinny exchanged amused glances across the ruined table. For three seconds, neither said a word, listening to the distant, fading sound of Valerius’s complaints bouncing off the walls.Then, Tinny burst out laughing. He leaned back so hard his chair nearly tipped over, his orange-dusted hands clutching his stomach as he howled. Zarek let out a low, rumbling chuckle, shaking his head as he picked up the scattered playing cards."Did you see his face?!" Tinny gasped, wiping a tear from his eye. "He looked so angry when he hit the floor!""Good evasion, Tinny," Zarek murmured, his grin fading back into his usual calm expression as he stacked the deck. "But protect your energy. The Vances are panicking,

He yanked the rear door open, swearing under his breath when he saw the silver-haired matriarch of House Vance knocked out cold. He hauled Beatrice out, slinging her over his shoulder with a heavy grunt."Are you insane?!" Shaw snapped, turning to glare at Elara as they hurried toward the dark entrance of the facility. "You didn't say you were kidnapping the Director's sister! Do you have any idea the kind of military response this is going to draw down on our heads?!""It was audible!" Elara barked, limping beside him, her hand pressed against her bleeding side. "Vance was going to flatten my car! Having his sister in the back seat is the only reason his enforcers didn't blow me to pieces!""It's a death sentence, Elara!" Shaw argued as they kicked through the rotting doors into a dark room filled with dead terminal screens. "The Vances will burn this sector to ashes to get her back!""Then let them try!" Elara snarled, her eyes flashing despite her exhaustion. "We have the asset, w

"You speak of transactions and deletion codes as if you hold the majority share in this ledger, Elara," Vance murmured, his voice deadpan. He adjusted his cuff. "But your math remains flawed. Look at the assets on the board. You have one person. I have two."He let out a dry chuckle."You think threatening Beatrice's life forces my hand? You think her logistics manifests are irreplaceable?" Vance’s eyes drifted to his sister, his expression showing no more emotion than if he were looking at broken office machinery. "Let me educate you on corporate dynasties, child. Backups exist. Redundant routing is already being initialized. House Vance does not grind to a halt because one cog gets misplaced."Beatrice’s eyes widened above the adhesive tape, her chest heaving as she glared at the screen."If you want to cut her throat, cut it," Vance said smoothly, gesturing vaguely. "Do whatever you want with her. Bury her under the floorboards of that rotting camp for all I care.”“I will simpl

Knowing Zarek’s mind, Elara’s complaint made an unsettling amount of sense. Zarek didn’t get caught unless being caught was part of the calculation.Beatrice shifted on the cot, tracking Elara with a flash of unease. For the first time, the matriarch looked worried, not because of the girl in front of her, but because she realized the siblings were playing a different game than her brother."We hold our position in this dead zone," Elara ordered, her voice hardening as she looked toward the dark woods. "We don't play into Vance's hands, and we don't bail Zarek out. If my brother wants to use himself as a wildcard, I’m going to let him flip the table from the inside."Beatrice Vance twisted