The call came three days after the council testimony.
Elian was in the cooperative's meeting hall, reviewing expansion plans with Adaeze, when his phone buzzed with an unknown number. He almost didn't answer—spam calls were a daily nuisance—but something made him pick up.
"Mr. Athen." The voice was low, urgent, speaking quickly as if afraid of being overheard. "My name is not important. What's important is that you listen and don't interrupt."
Elian gestured for Adaeze to wait and stepped into a corner. "I'm listening."
"You made quite an impression at the council. The wrong kind of impression on the wrong people. There are those who see you as a threat now—not just an annoyance, but a genuine danger to their interests." A pause, heavy with meaning. "You're making the wrong people nerv
