DAVID’S POV – CHAPTER
The ice clinked softly against the crystal glass as I poured myself a drink—twenty-year-old scotch, smooth enough to burn without hurting. I held it up to the light, admiring the color before taking a slow sip. The warmth spread down my throat, settling into my chest like confidence made liquid.
This was the part of the evening I enjoyed most: the silence, the control, the reminder that I was still the smartest man in the room—even when the room was empty.
I swiveled my chair toward the large screen on my desk and began logging into my encrypted accounts, one by one. Fingerprint. Passcode. Secondary authentication. Then the real gateways—the ones hidden behind disguised software.
The moment the final lock clicked open, I leaned back in my chair, feeling a familiar
