(Author’s POV)
The glow of data monitors bathed the room in cold light. The air was taut with urgency, and the scent of tension lingered like storm clouds waiting to break. Selene stood at the center, a silent storm in her own right, one hand in her coat pocket, the other resting against the desk as Jiang and Matteo stood opposite her, awaiting orders.
“I want every thread, every whisper, every damn transaction Cinder has ever touched” Her voice was low, composed but laced with a steel edge.
“I don’t care if it’s ten years old or yesterday, if he so much as bought a pen in my father’s name, I want it on record” She looked at Jiang.
“Understood. I’ll pull the syndicate’s buried offshore logs, encrypted comms, dummy shells... everything” Jiang nodded.
“You’ve worked financial undercurr
