2025-07-03 13:10:47Lena leaned over the laptop in the safehouse, eyes locked on the screen. “Look at this,” she said, pointing. “A $10 billion transfer from Voss to a company called BrightStar. Same week KaneTech lost its biggest software deal.”
Elias stared at the screen, his scar tingling. “That can’t be a coincidence.” His mom’s voice echoed in his mind: “They cheated us.”
“We need answers,” Elias said.
Lena nodded. “BrightStar’s CEO is Alan Voss. He knows what went down. Let’s confront him.”
From the corner, Marcus scoffed. “You? Confront a CEO? Good luck, rookie.”
Elias didn’t respond. He gripped the Syndicate keycard tighter. His mom, Amelia Kane, had built KaneTech from the ground up. That $1.5 trillion account was hers, and his now.
He wasn’t just a janitor anymore.
At the bank, Elias stood alone, his heart racing. The teller double-checked the account. “Amelia Kane. One-point-five trillion dollars.”
His scar tingled, and his mom’s voice whispered clearly: “The pin is 7-1-9-2.”
He typed it in and withdrew five million dollars.
Outside, Elias slipped into a shiny Rolls-Royce Phantom—bought just that morning. Two luxury SUVs pulled up behind it, making a convoy for him, Lena, and Marcus.
Dressed in a sharp black suit with a gold watch flashing, he said, “Let’s show BrightStar who I am.”
Lena smirked, adjusting her sunglasses. “Looking like a boss, Elias.”
Marcus grunted, not impressed. “Don’t choke in there.”
Elias’s eyes narrowed. He was going to make them all notice.
BrightStar’s tall, shiny tower stood out in downtown Chicago. Elias stepped out of his car, the convoy waiting behind him. Lena and Marcus walked beside him, looking like they stood on buisness. The receptionist stared at Elias’s sharp suit. “Mr. Voss is expecting you, Miss Lena” she said nervously.
Inside the penthouse office, Alan Voss—a thin man with gray hair—stood behind a glass desk. “Who are you?” he asked, glancing at Elias’s Rolls-Royce outside. “Some new rich kid trying to act important?”
Elias spoke calmly. “I’m here about the $10 billion contract KaneTech lost. The week of June 12, 2015. Voss paid BrightStar that amount. Why?”
Alan’s face went pale. “KaneTech? That company fell apart after Amelia Kane died.” He looked closely at Elias. “What do you want?”
Lena stepped forward, her voice strong. “This is Elias Kane, the new CEO of KaneTech. Amelia’s son. The rightful heir.”
Elias’s heart raced—she’d never said that out loud before. Alan’s jaw dropped, his eyes flicking to Elias’s suit.
“Amelia’s son?” Alan stammered, shocked. “That’s impossible. KaneTech was finished.” He sank into his chair, stunned. “We won that contract fair and square. Amelia’s death left them weak.”
Elias leaned forward, his gold watch shining. “Fair? Voss paid BrightStar $10 billion that week. Was that a bribe?” His mom’s voice urged him: “Keep pushing.” Alan’s hands shook. “I don’t know anything about a bribe.”
“Don’t lie,” Lena said sharply. “We have bank records. Talk now, or we go to the police.” Marcus crossed his arms, staring hard. Alan swallowed nervously. “It wasn’t me. Crane handled the deal. Ask him.”
Elias’s eyes narrowed. “Crane again. What really happened that week?” Alan hesitated. “Voss wanted the city’s AI contract. BrightStar got it after… talks with a councilman. That’s all I know.”
Lena gave Elias a sharp look. “Councilman Reid,” she whispered. Elias nodded, his scar burning. Amelia had been cheated, but he needed more proof. “We’re not finished,” he told Alan as he turned to leave.
Mara’s penthouse glowed with evening lights. Victor Dray, her rich tech suitor, sipped whiskey with a smirk. “KaneTech’s dead. I crushed them with Apex’s bid.” Mara frowned, gripping her glass. “ Heard Elias now worked for that company.”
Dray laughed. “Your ex? Just a janitor, nobody. Stick with winners, Mara.” Her jaw tightened. “He wasn’t always nothing,” she said sharply. Dray’s eyes narrowed. “You’re too soft for him.”
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Latest Chapter
Chapter Fifty Two
Elias sat still in the dim light of the war room, the glow of monitors flickering against his face. The threat had come through a scrambled voice message—no face, no location, just a calm, clipped sentence:“You’ve crossed the line, Elias. Now I erase you.”No mistake who it was.Roarke had stopped pretending.Around him, Lena and Marcus were already moving, locking down communications, encrypting internal systems, and initiating new security protocols across KaneTech’s core operations.“We need to assume everything’s compromised,” Lena said. “Personal phones, cloud drives, even our secure satellites. Roarke’s escalation means one thing: he’s ready to burn everything, even himself, just to bury us.”Elias stood, dragging a hand through his hair. “Then we let him try. But we stay ten moves ahead.”Marcus leaned over the central console, pulling up new data streams. “We’ve got protestors outside the Capitol Building this morning. Union workers, teachers, hospital staff — the blackout tu
Chapter Fifty Two
The early morning after the blackout attempt. The kind that comes after a near-disaster — not quite peace, not quite relief. Just a city catching its breath.Elias stood on the rooftop of KaneTech Tower, wrapped in a black coat as the wind tugged at his sleeves. Below him, the streets buzzed faintly with signs of life returning: streetlights flickering back on, coffee vendors reopening their carts, distant sirens echoing as emergency crews finished cleanup.He exhaled slowly.They had survived the night.Behind him, the rooftop door creaked open. Lena stepped out, a tablet in one hand, a scarf looped tightly around her neck.“You should be resting,” she said, walking up beside him.Elias gave a small shake of his head. “Could say the same to you.”She smiled faintly, then held up the tablet. “Press coverage is mostly positive. People are calling KaneTech the reason the city didn’t fall into total darkness.”“That’s a start,” Elias said. “Any word from Mara?”“She’s resting. We’ve move
Chapter Fifty One
Elias stood by the wide window of his office, the cityscape sprawling before him like a living, breathing beast. The night air pressed against the glass, heavy with rain and the faint hum of distant sirens. The digital map projected softly onto the windowpane flickered with the pulse of ongoing battles: supply routes blinking, union meeting spots highlighted, and markers for known Roarke operations glowing ominously.Despite the data streaming in from every corner, the weight pressing on Elias’s chest was less about numbers and more about trust.He spun away from the window as Lena entered quietly, her eyes sharp despite the fatigue etched across her face. Marcus followed close behind, his usual confidence tempered by exhaustion.“We’ve got trouble,” Marcus said bluntly, dropping a folder on the desk.Lena unfolded the papers, revealing a series of intercepted messages. “Roarke’s not just trying to cut us off anymore. He’s going for our allies. These are communications between his peo
Chapter Fifty
Elias Kane pulled his coat tighter around him as he stepped onto the cracked concrete. He wasn’t here for show or speeches. This was where the real fight was happening—the men and women who kept the city’s economy moving, and now, the first line against Roarke’s latest assault.His boots echoed against the pavement as he walked toward a small group of dockworkers gathered near a rusty container. Curtis DeSoto, the union leader Marcus had leaned on, stood at the center, his face drawn but resolute.“Elias,” Curtis nodded, eyes scanning the crowd. “Word’s out you’re here. Some of the guys were skeptical. Thought you were just another suit.”Elias smiled, the weight of the weeks behind him making his voice steady but warm. “I’m no suit when it comes to this city. I’m here because what’s happening here matters—to all of us.”One of the younger workers, a woman with grease-streaked hands and sharp eyes, stepped forward. “We’re tired of threats and deals made behind our backs. We want to kn
Chapter Forty Nine
Elias sat alone at a long table, staring at a digital map glowing softly in front of him. It showed supply routes, delivery schedules, union meeting locations, and dozens of other small details that made or broke the company. But right now, it all felt like fragile threads in a storm.Marcus came in, holding two cups of coffee. He sat down opposite Elias and slid one cup over.“Any news?” Elias asked without looking up.Marcus shook his head. “Nothing from Mara. No signals. She’s gone dark, just like we feared.”Elias swallowed the bitterness rising in his throat. “If Roarke gets to her first, she’s lost for good.”Marcus ran a hand through his hair. “We can’t lose her. She’s the key to cracking his union grip.”Lena entered quietly, laptop open and fingers already flying across the keys. “I’ve been tracking chatter from the docks. Roarke’s men are scrambling, but they’re trying to spin this as KaneTech sabotage.”Elias’s eyes narrowed. “Classic move. Blame us for what he’s doing.”“W
Chapter Forty Eight
The leaked footage from the gala didn’t just spread through Chicago’s news cycle, it lit the city on fire. By morning, the story was everywhere: front pages, talk shows, late-night radio. Even people who didn’t know KaneTech from a hole in the ground were suddenly using the name Roarke like a curse word.Inside KaneTech Tower, the war room buzzed like a hornet’s nest. Lena’s laptop speakers streamed a roundtable from a local station. Four pundits argued at once, all circling the same question: What happens now?Marcus stood at the coffee machine, arms folded, listening. He cracked a grin when one of the talking heads said Elias Kane with something like respect in his voice.He looked over at Lena. “So, we poked the king and the court’s turning.”Lena, who hadn’t slept in thirty hours, didn’t look up from her screen. “Don’t get cocky. Roarke’s never backed off a fight in his life. He’ll do worse than poke back.”She glanced at Elias, who stood by the window again, phone at his ear, voic
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