The boardroom silence didn’t break—it suffocated.
Elena couldn’t move. The words circled her mind like something alive.
Genetic interference.
Engineered traits.
Adrian stood rigid beside her. “That’s not possible,” he said under his breath. “No one had that authority.”
Victor adjusted his sleeve, unbothered. “Authority is rarely requested when necessity is clear.”
Elena’s voice cut sharp. “You had no right.”
Victor met her gaze. “Rights are defined by those who secure the future.”
Lucas stepped in, controlled but tense. “Unauthorized genetic alteration is a crime.”
Victor’s faint smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Only if anyone can prove it.”
---
Adrian’s restraint snapped at the edges. “You’re saying you modified our child before he was born?”
“I’m saying,” Victor replied evenly,
