The Northvale Key

Episode 4

Morning ambushed the Valerian Group with an unfriendly chill. Cassian walked through the lobby, the image of the mysterious man at the hospital last night still clinging tightly to his memory. His eyes felt heavy, yet his heartbeat was steady. He could feel the phone in his pants pocket as if it carried the weight of an empire.

Upon reaching the second floor, where the logistics division was located, a thick blue folder slammed hard against his desk. The papers inside scattered, some falling onto Cassian's dull shoes. "Wake up, you slowpoke! Did you sleep well after wasting my hospital money?" That shrill voice belonged to Cyrus. The man stood in front of Cassian’s desk in a silk shirt ironed too slick, looking self-satisfied after stealing credit for Cassian’s ten-million-dollar donation the night before.

Cassian looked up calmly. "Can I help you, Mr. Cyrus?"

"Don't put on that innocent face. Type up this investment contract right now! 'Mega-Bridge Capital.' We’re injecting two hundred billion in fresh funds from Valerian’s operational reserves there today," Cyrus barked. He leaned in, his sharp scent filling the cramped workspace. "Lianna already agreed, so don't ask questions. Your only job is to type the data so it can be withdrawn from the creditor bank this afternoon."

Cassian took the file, his eyes sweeping over the figures on the paper at an abnormal speed. Two hundred billion? To Mega-Bridge? Cassian's jaw tightened slightly. Mega-Bridge Capital was a shell company he had seen in Syndicate surveillance data as an extension of a malicious speculator group. This wasn't just a stupid investment; it was Cyrus's attempt to launder funds while fatally weakening Valerian’s cash flow.

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up!" Cyrus shouted, kicking the leg of Cassian's chair before heading toward his grand office.

Cassian sat at his computer. His fingers began to dance across the keyboard, but he wasn't typing documents for Mega-Bridge. Behind the open application window, a Northvale Syndicate terminal command ran in parallel.

Mega-Bridge Capital risk information. Send the 'Shadow' internal audit report to Inter-City Bank’s compliance department, Cassian typed quickly. He tilted his head slightly, his ears catching the footsteps of other employees nearby who were gossiping about Cyrus's luck in securing help from the investment consortium last night.

"Did Lianna really agree to this?" Cassian murmured softly.

He opened a private message channel to Lianna. "Lianna, did you authorize the Mega-Bridge investment today?"

The reply from Lianna appeared a minute later. "Cyrus said it was the only way to patch the holes he claims are in logistics. He used the 'favor' from last night to force the board to sign it. I’m powerless, Cassian. They’re blaming me for Grandmother’s condition."

Cassian’s hand balled into a fist under the desk. He could hear Lianna’s suppressed sobs through the words on his phone screen. Cyrus was using his fake heroism to rob his own wife.

Not on my watch, Cassian thought coldly.

He inserted a 'Digital Stake' into the bank's transaction data stream. Not as Cassian Northvale the record-keeper, but as the invisible Mr. North. A secret message was sent that very second to the Credit Manager of Inter-City Bank: "Mega-Bridge Capital has a hidden 400% bad debt ratio. Reject all disbursement applications related to Valerian Group assets within the next hour, or your bank will be blacklisted by Northvale."

An hour later, a commotion broke out from the Junior Director's office. The glass door to Cyrus’s office slammed open. The man’s face was no longer fresh; he was red, almost purple. The phone in his hand vibrated violently as he emerged shouting curses.

"Why was it rejected? What do you mean the risk funds don't make sense? I set the valuation myself!" Cyrus roared into his phone.

He paced back and forth in front of the staff cubicles, making the atmosphere in the room suddenly feel like a minefield. "Everything was fine this morning! The bank was supposed to disburse this bridge loan ten minutes ago!"

Lianna came out of the CEO's office, looking confused but with a glint of relief in her eyes upon hearing that the dangerous transaction had been unilaterally canceled by the bank. "Cyrus, what happened?"

"Shut up, Lianna! Someone must have intentionally sabotaged me! Sensitive data was leaked to the bank analysts," Cyrus screamed frantically. He turned his head toward the farthest corner of the room, where Cassian sat silently, still holding the document folder.

Cyrus’s steps approached like a wounded predator. Other staff members held their breath, some shifting just to get a clear view of the spectacle.

"You..." Cyrus pointed his index finger right at Cassian's nose. "You’re the slow typist who messed up the data entry, aren't you? The bank said there were discrepancies in the reports coming from a computer on this floor! You were the only one holding the draft earlier!"

Cassian remained seated upright, his gaze unwavering. "Mr. Cyrus, I only typed according to the documents you provided. The bank's risk analysis error is not on me."

"How dare you talk back?!" Cyrus grabbed Cassian by the collar, forcing him to stand up roughly. Cassian's chair toppled over, creating a metallic bang that echoed.

Lianna tried to intervene. "Cyrus, stop! Don't blame Cassian for this failed investment. He's just an administrative assistant!"

"How many times have I told you not to interfere in my business, Lianna!" Cyrus barked without letting go of his grip on Cassian. "Because this bastard was slow, my backup contract expired! Valerian will lose points in the eyes of investors today, and my reputation is ruined!"

Without warning, Cyrus's free right hand balled into a fist. A punch landed hard on Cassian's left cheek. Cassian's head snapped to the side; his lip split, and a small amount of blood dripped onto the white tile floor. Lianna screamed, running forward to pull her cousin away. "Stop it, Cyrus! You're crazy!"

Cassian didn't fight back. He felt a throbbing pain in his face, but inside his head, he was actually enjoying the moment. Every drop of blood shed today was a debt he would collect with interest.

Cyrus pushed Cassian until he slumped against the cold metal cabinet wall. Cyrus’s breath was heavy, filled with frustration because his money-laundering plan had been completely destroyed.

"Listen closely, you damn parasite," Cyrus hissed, his voice now low, cold, and deadly right in Cassian's ear. "Because of you, this big deal is gone. Grandmother might be sick, but I'm still the master of that house. In the next 48 hours, I'll make sure you're out of the Ashworth family home! I'll make sure you're begging on the streets because your wife won't be able to protect you anymore after I blame this failure on you!"

The logistics staff bowed their heads, pretending to be busy with work despite the tense atmosphere. Lianna stood frozen with teary eyes, holding the arm of Cassian as he slowly stood up.

"Forty-eight hours, Cassian," Cyrus threatened once more, pointing at his face. "Pack your bags, because tomorrow I'll have your name erased from the civil registry if I have to!"

Cyrus turned and walked back into his office, slamming the glass door so hard it nearly cracked. Cassian wiped the blood from the corner of his lip with the back of his hand. His eyes, which had previously looked weary and submissive, now glinted with a thick darkness. Behind his head, the Syndicate AI's voice spoke softly through an invisible earpiece: Emotional target detected. The Ashworth family's internal strength has reached its lowest point.

Should we begin the market cleanup operation, Mr. Northvale? Cassian glanced at Lianna, who was now clinging to his arm, sobbing and apologizing for her cousin's behavior. He squeezed Lianna's hand gently, but his mind was already elsewhere.

"Don't cry, Lianna," Cassian murmured softly. His voice sounded flat, as if Cyrus's punch earlier had been nothing. "I will handle it."

Cassian picked up the documents that had fallen earlier, but this time he crumpled the paper until it was crushed in his grip. He walked slowly back to his desk, ignoring the pitying or disgusted looks from his coworkers. As his hand touched the mouse, a pop-up window appeared on his private monitor. There was only one button with a red encrypted access code: REVERSE EVICTION PROJECT.

His fingers moved to press the button without hesitation. Cassian knew that the 48 hours Cyrus had promised wasn't time for him to prepare to leave, but rather the last 48 hours for Cyrus to enjoy the remnants of his luxury.

Suddenly, the secret phone in Cassian's pocket vibrated briefly. An incoming message broke the silence of his anger-filled heart. It wasn't from the Syndicate. It was from the same unknown number from the hospital last night.

"That bleeding cheek of yours is a small price to pay. But be careful, Northvale. Kenneth Stark has already moved to the harbor today. You must choose: save your home, or save Lianna's life."

Cassian's heart sank. He looked up toward the lobby window below, his eyes catching a black car driving slowly, its dark tinted windows seeming to challenge him from a distance.