The recent victory over Marcus Lane’s public accusations had given Black Industries a moment of much-needed reprieve. Internally, the company was stabilizing; externally, confidence was cautiously returning. But for Nathan, Ava, and Elise, there was a sense that the peace was temporary—like standing in the eye of a storm.
Ava sat at her desk reviewing proposals for a global ethics conference she had been invited to co-chair. She was alone in the office wing, sipping chamomile tea while reflecting on the recent weeks of chaos. Her phone buzzed—a secure message from an anonymous source.
"He’s closer than you think. Dig deeper into the boardroom."
She froze.
It wasn’t the first anonymous tip they had received since Marcus Lane’s exposure, but this one felt more ominous. The phrasing was d
