Rain hammered the penthouse windows like a warning.
Elena stood still, watching lightning tear across the sky. The city below felt distant now—like a battlefield she could no longer step away from.
Behind her, the news repeated the same headline:
INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATION INTO KINGSLEY EMPIRE ESCALATES
Markets fluctuated. Analysts argued. Protest footage flashed across the screen.
Victor Kingsley was bleeding influence.
But men like him didn’t fall quietly.
“Public pressure is building fast,” Lucas said, scanning projections. “Multiple regulators are aligning.”
Adrian crossed his arms. “That makes him more dangerous, not less.”
Elena didn’t move. “Good.”
---
Across the ocean, Victor stood inside a private strategy chamber beneath Kingsley Tower.
Screens lit the room in cold b
