Location: Kane Conglomerate Headquarters – Tavara City
Back in the heart of the capital, the corporate skyline shimmered under the golden hour glow. Damien's private chopper landed on the rooftop helipad of the Kane Conglomerate, the wind rippling through his coat as he stepped out, Nora close behind.
He hadn't returned here in weeks—not since the first real confrontation with Black Helix. But now that the veil had been lifted, every step through these halls carried weight.
Inside the main conference room, an elite selection of allies, family stakeholders, and security heads waited for him.
His cousin, Trevor Kane, stood first. "You finally brought her here."
Damien gave a sharp nod. "She's earned the right."
Nora stayed poised but cautious. The air felt heavy with judgment.
Trevor spoke again. "We've seen the footage. The labs. What she uncovered. Damien, the board wants to know—are we declaring war on Black Helix, or are we negotiating?"
"War," Damien answered without hesitation. "But on our terms. We don't just burn them—we absorb what's necessary and destroy the rest. Every offshoot. Every puppet they've placed in governments and families. Especially those inside Tavara."
Trevor leaned forward. "Do you realize what this means? You're calling for a full corporate purge. Politicians, families we've allied with for decades—some of your father's oldest partners."
"I'm aware," Damien said coldly. "And I'm ready."
Across the room, Rachel, Nora's close friend and now embedded agent, stepped forward with a flash drive.
"I intercepted this three hours ago. Internal comms from a branch known as Helix Sigma. They're calling in foreign reinforcements. A strike may be planned in the next 72 hours… on this very building."
Damien's eyes narrowed.
"Then let them come," he said. "We'll be ready."
---
Location: Secret Apartment Safehouse – Nora's Medical Sanctuary
Later that night, Nora sat in the dim quiet of her private suite, glancing through patient records and Black Helix experiment logs—files that still had no end.
Victor, Damien's top intelligence analyst, arrived with a sealed folder.
"We decrypted the DNA match from the Helix logs. It confirms what we feared."
Nora looked up.
Victor's voice was calm, but grim. "Your parents—your real biological ones—weren't just victims. They were Helix operatives. High-ranking. Until they defected."
Nora stared at the folder. Her hands trembled slightly. "And they were killed… by Helix themselves?"
"Yes. Silenced for trying to raise you outside the system."
Tears didn't fall. But they burned behind her eyes.
---
Location: Damien's Private Study – Later That Night
Damien stood staring at a map of Helix installations across the globe.
Elira entered quietly. "It's happening, isn't it?"
He turned. "It's begun."
Elira's gaze lingered. "And Nora?"
"She's no longer running from her past," Damien said. "She's walking straight into it."
Elira gave a small nod. "Good. Because the next battle will tear more than systems apart—it'll test what's left of her humanity."
Damien's fists clenched. "Then we'll remind them. She's not theirs. She never was."