The sharp, definitive c***k of the gavel echoed through the stock exchange. For one perfect, suspended moment, everything was exactly as Julian had imagined it. The crowd roared, a wave of pure, ecstatic sound. The ticker symbol—AGS—flashed onto the board, a vibrant green. Confetti cannons erupted, showering the trading floor in a storm of glittering paper. Julian, his face flushed with victory, pulled Chloe into a cinematic kiss for the cameras.
He was a king at his coronation.
Then, the world broke.
It started subtly. The AGS ticker, which should have exploded upward, flickered. It posted an opening price, then froze. The roar of the traders began to falter, replaced by a confused murmur. On the floor, people were tapping their terminals, frowning. Something was wrong.
On the seven-s
