CHAPTER : 28
The threat against Liam changed everything.
It was no longer about strategy.
It was survival.
By 6:00 a.m., Ethan had doubled private security. By 7:00, Sophia had withdrawn from all public appearances indefinitely. By 8:00, the market opened—and something unusual happened.
Callaway International stock surged.
Not dramatically.
But steadily.
And without explanation.
Ethan stared at the trading dashboard in his office.
“That’s not retail movement,” he said quietly.
Sophia stood beside him.
“No panic selling after yesterday’s incident?”
“None.”
He zoomed in on the acquisition trail.
“Someone’s buying.”
Large blocks.
Clean execution.
Through layered entities.
Deliberate.
Not aggressive enough to trigger alerts.
But too coordinated to be random.
“Vanguard?” S
