The clock on the boardroom wall didn't tick. It rendered the passage of time in ruthless, digital increments: 08:02 AM.
Two hours remained before Arthur Vance’s arraignment at the federal plaza. Two hours before his legal team triggered the automatic reversion clause that would seize Chloe’s father’s small logistics firm, liquidating his life’s work to pay off Arthur’s fake debt.
Chloe stood by the central glass console, her fingers moving over the interface with rapid, mechanical precision. Her gray blazer was unbuttoned, her silk blouse creased at the elbows from a night without sleep. Beside her, the Phoenix server mirrored data in steady, cool blue light.
The glass doors of the boardroom slid open.
Marcus walked in, accompanied by a tall man in a tailored charcoal suit. The strange
