He watched the news on his small television. Clara Thorne’s face appeared on screen, looking radiant and confident as she discussed Thorne Corp’s new project, which had suddenly received a mysterious influx of funds. Behind her stood Ethan Vale, calm in a perfectly tailored black suit. The man said nothing, but his aura dominated the screen.
"You think you've won, Ethan?" Jasper grabbed a burner phone he had bought from the black market yesterday. "You think by seizing my company, you can make me give up?"
He pressed a series of numbers not saved in any phone book. Numbers he had obtained from underground contacts he had helped when he was still at the top.
The phone rang three times before a heavy, monotonous voice answered from the other end.
"Yes?"
"This is Jasper Wang," Jasper sai
