The Northvale Key

Episode 12

The darkness in the underground vault felt thick and cold, as if the concrete surrounding Cassian had turned to ice. The sound of heavy tactical boots approached from the main corridor. There were three people, maybe four, moving with highly trained coordination. They were not ordinary security guards. They were a cleanup unit sent by the Coven Entity.

Cassian did not turn on the lights. He closed his eyes, letting his other senses take over. The heartbeats of the intruders were clear in his ears, a rhythm of anxiety masked by professional silence. He gripped the quill pen given to him by Mr. Chen. The pen was not just a decoration; its tip had been modified by the Syndicate with liquid metal nerves capable of piercing bulletproof vest fibers.

Finish them without leaving a cyber trail, Cassian thought.

The first step was heard right at the doorway. Cassian moved as fast as a shadow. Silently, he appeared behind the first man, pressing a pressure point at the base of the opponent's throat with the tip of the pen. The man didn't even have time to groan before his body went limp. Cassian caught the body to keep it from hitting the floor, then glided toward the second man who was beginning to realize something was wrong.

In thirty seconds, silence reclaimed the room. The three intruders now lay helpless, paralyzed by an instant-acting toxin. Cassian exhaled a long breath, straightening his slightly rumpled shirt collar. He didn't kill them—it wasn't time for the world to see a pile of bodies in the heart of Valerian.

Agent D, Cassian whispered toward his shirt button. Clean the basement. Make sure Mr. Breyer and Lianna think this was just a short-circuit disturbance.

Understood, Mr. Northvale. The cleaning team arrives in two minutes.

Cassian immediately returned to the computer console just as the building's emergency power began to kick back in. The lights flickered yellow, signaling the power transition. He quickly typed a series of closing commands for the financial war he was leading. He hadn't slept all night, letting his fingers dance over the keyboard while the London and Tokyo stock exchange graphs clashed before his eyes.

On the main screen, the Acquisition Reverse algorithm trap he had set had pulled all of Apex Partners' liquidity into a bottomless vortex.

Six o'clock in the morning. Dawn light crept in through the narrow air vents. Lianna returned to the room looking exhausted, her usually neat hair now a bit disheveled. She brought a glass of hot coffee, her eyes red from constantly monitoring the reports from upstairs.

How is it, Cassian? Lianna asked, her voice hoarse with anxiety. Mr. Breyer said the market will close soon for the first morning session. Grandmother is already waiting upstairs with the board of directors. Kenneth Stark... he is already in the meeting room with the acquisition papers ready to be signed.

Cassian looked up, giving a faint smile that seemed weak, a perfect mask of exhaustion. I'm finished, Lianna. It seems the goddess of luck was sleepy and accidentally pressed the buy button for us.

Lianna approached, seeing the green numbers that stopped moving on the monitor. Her lips trembled. This is... impossible. We didn't just win? We took over the majority of their shares?

Let's show the results to Mr. Stark, Cassian murmured as he stood up, hiding a small scrape on his knuckles from the brief incident in the dark earlier.

Upstairs, the Valerian Group's meeting room felt like an execution chamber. Kenneth Stark sat with his legs crossed, sipping his expensive espresso while the Great Grandmother sat frozen at the end of the table. All the Ashworth directors looked resigned, including Cyrus, who was now staring at the wall clock with a petty spark of victory.

It is time, Madam, Stark said, his voice booming with authority. Hand over Valerian now, and I will consider not dragging your family to bankruptcy court.

Wait a minute!

Lianna entered the room with a firm stride, followed by Cassian who trailed behind like an obedient assistant. She slammed a stack of digital documents into the middle of the table, right in front of Stark's face.

We are not handing over anything today, Mr. Stark, Lianna said, her eyes flashing with renewed pride. Please check the Apex Partners' share books for this morning's session. Valerian Group, through a secret holding company affiliated with us, has just completed a reverse acquisition of forty percent of Apex's shares.

Kenneth Stark laughed loudly, a laugh that then caught in his throat as his assistant whispered something with a face as pale as a corpse. Stark immediately grabbed his tablet, his fingers trembling as he scrolled through the market data.

No... this is impossible! Where did this ten billion dollars come from instantly?! Stark roared, his face turning bright red until the veins in his temples bulged. Sabotage! This must be market manipulation!

Manipulation or genius, it doesn't matter to the exchange authorities, said Mr. Breyer, who suddenly appeared at the door with a beaming face. The reality is, Mr. Stark, you are now a minority shareholder in your own company. Technically, we have the right to kick you out of this building right now.

Stark turned to Cassian, his eyes filled with sharp suspicion, as if he could see a ghost behind the face of that Note-Taker. But Cassian only looked down, busy tidying Lianna's files with intentionally trembling hands.

The Great Grandmother slowly stood up. Her hand holding the cane no longer shook. She looked at Kenneth Stark with a sharp smile of contempt. Security! Escort Mr. Stark to the exit. And make sure he doesn't take a single cent of Valerian's with him.

The room suddenly became noisy with Stark's angry screams as he was dragged out. After the door closed, a different silence enveloped the room. The Great Grandmother's gaze slowly shifted to Cyrus, who now sat cowering in his chair.

Cyrus Ashworth, the Great Grandmother's voice was low and deadly. Mr. Breyer found traces that you intentionally leaked our encryption access to Stark last night so this takeover would go smoothly. Did you think I was blind? You tried to sell out your entire family just for the CEO's seat?

Grandmother! That's a lie! I—

Silence! The Great Grandmother struck her cane against the floor. Revoke all your inheritance rights. Get out of this board right now. You are no longer part of the Ashworth bloodline as of today. Leave before I call the police for all your embezzlement cases!

Cyrus froze, looking around with wild eyes, searching for support. But his other cousins quickly turned their faces away. With a roar of frustration and deep hatred for Cassian, Cyrus stomped out, disappearing from Valerian's glory forever.

A great victory had been achieved. The company that was once on the brink of destruction had now become the new ruler in its sector. Lianna looked very happy, tears of relief wetting her cheeks as the staff began to applaud. However, amidst the commotion, the Great Grandmother remained sitting silently, staring at Cassian who was standing in the corner of the room with a blank expression.

Cassian Northvale, the Great Grandmother called.

Cassian approached, bowing slightly. Yes, Great Grandmother?

The Great Grandmother looked at him with a mixture of hatred and dependency. She knew that behind her son-in-law's loser facade, there was something very dangerous and powerful, but she was too proud to admit it in public.

I know you had a role in the data last night. Valerian Group is not the type to forget to return a favor, the Great Grandmother said. She signaled to her servant, who entered carrying a worn-out cardboard box.

Lianna smiled proudly, thinking her husband would be given a high position or at least a fitting reward. "Thank you, Grandma. Cassian really worked hard—"

The Matriarch opened the box and threw it down at Cassian's feet. Inside were several pieces of old, second-hand clothes—faded suits and shirts with yellowed collars that clearly belonged to family members who had passed away last year.

"Use these for our upcoming celebration," the Matriarch said in a sickeningly cold voice. "Your appearance as a clerk must be maintained so that investors don't wonder why a man like you is allowed onto the main board. This is a gift for you, Cassian. Be grateful you are still allowed to live under my roof after all this chaos."

The smile on Lianna's face vanished instantly, replaced by a painful shock. "Grandma? This is too much! Cassian just—"

"Enough, Lianna!" the Matriarch snapped. "He is just a lucky pawn. Do not let your wifely sentiments ruin the family's order. Take that trash and get back to work, Cassian."

Cassian slowly crouched down, picking up the musty second-hand clothes one by one. He did not look angry; in fact, his face remained as calm as a lake in the middle of the night. He looked at his own hand holding the dingy yellow shirt and smiled thinly—a smile that could stop anyone's heart if they could see the spark in his eyes.

Thank you, old Matriarch, Cassian thought coldly. One more insult... one more nail for the coffin I will be ordering for you later.

Just as he was about to leave the room, the secret phone in his suit pocket vibrated intensely with a very specific rhythm. It was not a bank notification, nor was it Agent D.

It was a top-level red alert signal from the Northvale Syndicate.

Cassian reached for his phone once he was in the quiet corridor. A single text message from a number blocked by the shadow satellite system appeared on the screen:

You thought the attack on the treasury earlier was the peak? Check under Lianna's car now. 10... 9... 8...

At that very moment, Cassian heard the roar of Lianna's car engine in the parking lot as his wife was about to leave to celebrate her victory by meeting the artisan team for her jewelry gallery.

"LIANNA! DON'T START THE CAR!" Cassian shouted, his voice shattering the silence of the Valerian lobby as he lunged through the lobby window toward the parking lot.