Morning came too fast.Neo woke at 5 AM, Lyra still asleep beside him.He slipped out of bed carefully, got dressed in yesterday's clothes.Left her a note on the kitchen counter: "Meeting Adam. Back by noon. Don't worry. -N"Then he headed out into the cold pre-dawn air.–––––––––––Meridian Tower at 5:45 AM was empty.Neo took the elevator to the top floor, then the stairs to the roof.Pushed open the access door.Adam was already there.Standing near the edge, looking out over the city. Hands in his pockets. Shoulders tense."You're early," Neo said.Adam turned. His face was drawn. Like he hadn't slept."Couldn't sleep," he said. "Spent all night reading about Noam Ash. About the Bellvue attack. About the Carvers."Neo walked closer. Stopped about ten feet away."And?""And I'm pretty sure I've been working for a dead man for a

He walked toward the fountain, hands in his pockets, trying to look casual.The park was busy. Tourists taking photos. Joggers passing by. A street musician playing violin nearby.Perfect cover.Damian Von was already there.Standing near the edge of the fountain, looking completely relaxed. Expensive coat, hands in pockets, surveying the area like he owned it.Neo spotted three security guys at a distance. Fifty feet, maybe sixty. Close enough to respond, far enough to follow the rules.'He kept his word. So far.'Neo approached slowly.Damian turned, eyes tracking him.They stood there for a moment, sizing each other up."Mr. Ames, I presume?" Damian said.Neo's voice came out altered, deeper. "The market remembers everything."Damian smiled. "Indeed it does. I must say, you're impressively discreet." His eyes swept over Neo's appearance. "Even with so little to work with...

The next week was chaos.Damian launched attack after attack. Press releases. Client poaching attempts. Rumors planted in industry publications about Ames Digital's "financial instability."Neo countered every move.When Damian poached a senior engineer, Neo hired three from Von Global.When Von Global undercut Ames Digital's pricing on a major contract, Neo threw in additional services for free, making it impossible for Von Global to compete without losing money.When industry blogs published hit pieces about Ames Digital, Lyra fired back with meticulously researched articles highlighting Von Global's recent missteps.It was exhausting.But also—It was working.–––––––––––By the end of the week, the narrative had shifted. Instead of "Ames Digital vs. Goliath," it was becoming "The Upstart That Won't Die."And people loved an underdog.Neo was in his apartment, three mo

The party continued. Hours blurred together.Neo moved through the crowd like a ghost. Watching. Listening. Gathering intelligence.He overheard conversations between Von Global executives. Plans to crush Ames Digital. Strategies for market domination.He recorded everything on a hidden device.Around 9 PM, he spotted something interesting.Damian and a man in a dark suit, talking privately near the garden entrance.Neo couldn't hear them from where he stood, but their body language was tense.He moved closer, staying in the shadows."—don't care what it takes," Damian was saying. "I want Ames Digital destroyed. Completely. No mercy."The other man nodded. "Understood. We'll escalate operations next week.""Good. And make sure there's no blowback. I want this clean.""Always."They separated.Neo's mind raced.'Escalate operations. What does that mean? More aggressive client poaching? Sabotage? Something worse?'He needed to find out.But first—He needed to get out of here before som