Noel watched the financial news unfold, the red ticker symbols bleeding across the screen, confirming the immense damage his first strike had inflicted. Henry’s public response was predictable: aggressive denial, blame shifted to "foreign saboteurs," and threats of libel against Ben Carter. But Noel knew the truth was far more terrifying than the public façade. Henry was cornered, and the cornered animal was activating Final Containment.
He could not risk another unscheduled visit to the coast. That emotional respite from Chapter 26 had already jeopardized Ariel. He needed to warn her that the threat had moved from abstract legal danger to immediate, physical peril.
Noel contacted Mr. Finch immediately, bypassing the corporate network entirely and using a secure, dedicated satellite l
