Thoren
The moment Kael ended the call, I understood exactly how badly we had let the situation narrow.
Not because we lacked information, but because we had allowed the problem to become personal before it became strategic. Brent hadn’t needed to overpower us. He had simply redirected us—split the focus, forced the question, and waited for us to trap ourselves inside it.
That stopped here.
Kael was already dialing again, moving ahead without hesitation, but this time I stepped forward before he could carry the next phase alone.
“Patch me through,” I said, holding out my hand.
He didn’t question it. He passed the phone over immediately, his expression shifting in quiet acknowledgment as he stepped back into position beside me rather than in front of me.
The line connected, and a man’
