War did not begin with explosions. It began with decisions. Quiet ones. Calculated ones. Irreversible ones.
By sunrise, Blackwood Enterprises was no longer reacting. It was moving. Not openly. Not loudly. But with precision that only a few could recognize — and even fewer could survive.
Lucien stood at the head of the executive operations room, the city still dim beyond the glass walls. The room was filled with key personnel — legal, finance, internal security — but the usual corporate ease was gone. No idle chatter. No unnecessary movement. Everyone felt it. Something had shifted.
Aria stood slightly to Lucien’s right — not behind him, never behind — but positioned where she could see everything. And more importantly — Where she could read everything. Expressions. Hesitation. Fear. Gui
