Vortiger Tower – 27th Floor, 11:03 A.M.
Cassien had been in this room a hundred times.
But today, it felt like a trap.
The "Judas Room" wasn’t officially named that, of course. Internally, it was known as the Crisis Control Briefing Suite. But everyone who worked in Vortiger’s inner circle understood what happened behind this glass-tinted chamber: secrets were buried, enemies neutralized, and decisions that could destroy reputations were made with ruthless precision.
The room itself was designed for intimidation. The long, obsidian-black conference table reflected everything like a pool of still water. The walls were smoked glass that looked opaque from the inside but left the uneasy feeling that unseen eyes were watching from beyond. The air was chilled too cold, deliberately, to make
