Carter Reynolds sat at his desk, bathed in the glow of city lights reflecting off the walls of his corner office. The numbers on the quarterly report before him blurred as he stared through them. Revenues were soaring, the shareholders were ecstatic, and his name was climbing the ranks of the financial elite. But the faint buzz of his phone on the glass tabletop drew his attention.
A news alert flashed: "Victor Kane's Empire: Transformation from Ruthless to Revolutionary."
The article's headline sliced through him. He scrolled with one finger, his eyes narrowing. There was Julian Grey—or Victor Kane—standing at a community development groundbreaking. The photo captured him mid-laugh, surrounded by families.
Carter tossed the phone aside and leaned back in his chair. "What am I building?
