POV: Ethan ColeSome days after Theodore's death and Bernard Lau's audit revelation, we had a routine Cole Industries board meeting.Quarterly review stuff.Nothing that should have been interesting.Victoria attended in her advisory capacity as five percent minority shareholder, sitting at the end of the conference table looking professional and calm like always.The meeting proceeded normally for the first forty minutes or so. Financial reports from Marcus showing strong performance. Pharmaceutical acquisition integration updates, the companies we bought from Cross Industries' bankruptcy were operating smoothly under the new ethical framework.Employee retention numbers were good.Stock price was climbing steadily.Everything was fine.Then Victoria cleared her throat and said she had a routine shareholder notification to present."Nothing concerning," she said, pulling out a document. "Just a contractual matter that's come due based on the company's excellent performance."She slid

POV: Jennifer ReevesI ran a sting operation today against three corrupt pharmaceutical officials from Theodore's network. The system had been guiding me toward them for weeks, building the case piece by piece through missions that felt separate but were actually connected.The operation was physical, I posed as a corrupt regulatory consultant looking to buy my way into their network, wore a wire, met all three simultaneously at a hotel conference room downtown.The system provided real-time audio analysis through my interface, flagging when the officials were about to become suspicious, guiding my timing on when to push and when to back off.It was like having a tactical advisor in my head. All three got arrested by FBI agents I'd worked with through Agent Sarah Reeves, my contact at the bureau, no relation despite the same last name.The arrests went smooth.Raymond Cho, former FDA regional director, in Theodore's network for eighteen years.Patricia Lin, pharmaceutical lobbyist, fo

POV: Ethan ColeI called a press conference for nine AM at Cole Industries headquarters.Marcus and Lily had spent all night preparing documentation, share acquisition records, SEC filings, proxy purchase agreements, everything clean and legally airtight.Maya reviewed it all around six AM and confirmed we were good to go.I wore a Tom Ford suit, just like the one I'd worn to the charity gala months ago when we'd publicly humiliated people. Seemed appropriate.Arrived at Cole Industries in the Ferrari with the JUSTICE plates, deliberately choosing the most visible vehicle I owned.Photographers outside captured it immediately, exactly like I wanted. Walked through the lobby with unhurried confidence while employees starting their workday stopped and watched.The press conference room was packed by eight forty-five, forty journalists, cameras everywhere, and the three institutional investors Victoria had contacted were watching via livestream.Marcus set up the technical side while I r

POV: Ethan ColeFriday evening after the week from hell, press conference, Victoria's revelation, Gerald Harmon's name dropping like a bomb, I didn't go to the office.Called Maya instead."Come home. Please."She showed up thirty minutes later with takeout she didn't need because I was already cooking."You cook?" she asked, dropping her bag by the door."Sometimes. My mom taught me this pasta recipe before the coma. Figured I should actually use it."We ate at the kitchen counter instead of the formal dining table because the dining table felt too much like a board meeting and honestly, I was done with board meetings for the week.Maya told me about her first court filing, the pharmaceutical victim's case that went in this week. Even the small details. How the judge looked at her when she stood up. How her hands were shaking at first but steadied when she started talking. How the opposing counsel tried to intimidate her and she just stared him down until he sat back down. Everything

POV: Ethan ColeThe Grand Marquis was packed. Six hundred guests, the city's elite pretending to care about pediatric cancer research while they networked and drank expensive champagne.Harmon was the guest of honor, lifetime achievement award for business excellence and philanthropy.Philanthropy my foot.We arrived unannounced. The event coordinator at the door didn't recognize me initially. She looked at her clipboard, then at us, then back at her clipboard."I'm sorry, but this event is by invitation only. We're completely booked. There's nothing I can do."She said it without looking up."Ethan Cole," I said.She went pale instantly. Actually pale.The clipboard almost slipped out of her hands."Mr. Cole. I'm so sorry. I didn't realize… of course you're welcome. Let me get you the best table immediately.""I don't want the best table. I want to sit near Gerald Harmon.""Of course. Yes. Absolutely. Just give me ninety seconds."She disappeared into the ballroom sweating visibly. C