Location: Capital City, Tavara – Kane International Holdings HQ
The city skyline shimmered under the early morning sun, its glass towers glinting like blades. From the top floor of Kane International Holdings, the view was both stunning and ominous—power rising from concrete.
Damien stood at the glass wall, arms crossed, his reflection ghostly in the pane. He was freshly suited, the commander now cloaked in the armor of a tycoon. Gone were the blood-streaked gloves of the bunker, replaced by cufflinks bearing the Blackthorne family crest—a lion with wings.
Nora entered the room, her stride confident, a tablet in hand. "All your private accounts have been unfrozen. Your shares in Blackthorne Enterprises and TavaGlobal Holdings are restored. The board members who voted to expel you?" She smirked. "Removed."
"By choice or by force?" Damien asked without looking at her.
"Both. You left them no ground to stand on."
He finally turned. "And the Kane family?"
Nora hesitated. "Still quiet. But there's movement. I intercepted encrypted communication between Victor Kane's lieutenants. They've picked up on your return. They'll make a move soon."
A knock on the door interrupted them.
Alicia, Damien's cousin and interim head of PR, peeked in. "You're going to want to see this."
She flicked on the room's massive display screen. A news feed appeared—worldwide coverage of the Tavaran Defense Council's urgent assembly.
"…Unnamed sources claim that classified Tavaran defense technology was compromised. Meanwhile, Blackthorne Enterprises and Kane International Holdings have both seen unexpected shifts in board structures and share ownership…"
Nora crossed her arms. "They're trying to control the narrative before we do."
"No," Damien said quietly. "They're afraid."
His phone buzzed. A message from Marcus:
"Confirmed. A partial upload of Echo Zero survived. Not in Tavara. It's in Switzerland. Under Victor Kane's digital vaults."
Damien's eyes hardened. "So that's the game. Kane wants to finish what Echo started."
He looked at Nora. "We need to go international. Europe first. Then Hong Kong. If Victor's resurrecting anything, we end it before it breathes."
Nora placed a hand on his shoulder. "What about the council?"
"I'll send Cyrus. Let them know I'm back—and this time, I'm not asking for a seat at the table. I'm taking the whole damn table."
From behind him, the city buzzed with energy, oblivious to the war brewing above its streets. Damien knew this fight wouldn't be fought with bullets—but with blackmail, betrayal, and leverage.
And he had plenty of all three.
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