"Engineered?" Atlas's voice cut through the silence. "You're saying my father deliberately set up our quantum fusion?"
Cao Li gestured toward ornate chairs surrounding a low table of polished redwood. The ancient room contrasted sharply with the high-tech monitoring equipment – wall-mounted screens displayed energy signatures fluctuating across a global map, with particular concentration points pulsing in red.
"Please, sit. Tea will be served momentarily." Cao settled himself with the practiced ease of a man who'd hosted countless such meetings. "And yes, Marius Finnegan understood molecular synthesis better than anyone. Your bond isn't random chance."
Sarah took the seat beside Atlas, their bracelets humming in synchronized protest as their proximity intensified the energy exchange bet
