Inside the high-security boardroom of The Phoenix Collective, the atmosphere was stiflingly professional.
Screens glowed with shifting data points—market indices, timber yield projections, and land acquisition maps of the Blackwood territory.
Bella stood at the head of the glass table, her pointer tracing a line across the digital map. "The Blackwood pack relies on the Northern Ridge for 40% of their annual revenue. It’s the primary transit route for their export of raw minerals to the Eastern coalition."
"If we secure the easement rights," Ethan added, tapping a series of commands on his laptop, "we don't just own the road. We own the supply chain. Damien would have to pay a toll to his own backyard just to move his ore."
The board members, a mix of high-level pack strategists and co
