The night was heavy with fog as Elias Thorne stood on the penthouse balcony, watching the city shimmer beneath the haze. Below, lights blinked in patterns, too chaotic for order, too rhythmic for randomness. Like the people circling his downfall. But Elias had learned the rhythm. He had heard the beat behind their chaos. And now, he was ready to dance to it.
Lewis leaned on the railing beside him, arms crossed, eyes trained on the traffic below.
"They're prepping a dossier for the Financial Regulation Bureau," he said. "They're serious this time. They want you to fall hard, and they've partnered with Duchess Corp's legal sharks."
"And what's Magritte's angle?"
Lewis exhaled slowly. "Still unclear. But she's not neutral. Someone's pulling her strings."
Elias turned toward him. "Then maybe it's time we pull one of our own."
Earlier that day, Jude had arranged a quiet meeting at the old Northpoint Library. Among the mahogany shelves and dust-covered ledgers, Elias met with a woman known only as "The Widow." No one really knew her real name. But in elite circles, her whispers moved money, ruined careers, and toppled legacies.
"You finally decided to dance with snakes?" she said, eyes flickering with amusement.
"I've always danced with them. I just never knew I was leading."
She laughed, slow and measured. "What do you want, Mr. Thorne?"
"I need information. On the Duchess Corporation, Valerie Dexter's private holdings, and any contracts registered in my name without my knowledge."
"You think you were sold?"
"I know I was."
The Widow poured two glasses of vintage Madeira. She didn't offer just assumed he would drink.
"I'll get you the files. But it'll cost you. Not money," she added, eyes gleaming. "Favors."
"I don't give favors. I trade."
Her grin widened. "Then let's trade, darling. You want your power back? Let's rewrite the game."
By nightfall, Elias had returned to his office and found Magritte waiting.
She sat like a woman at peace, legs crossed, red nails glinting against the crystal tumbler in her hand.
"You didn't ask me here," she said before he could speak. "I came because I know you've seen the article."
"I have."
"And?"
"I don't trust you."
She smiled. "Good. That means you're learning."
"Why are you here?"
"To warn you. Duchess Corp is planning something massive. Bigger than a smear. They're backing a hostile acquisition of Draxon using Valerie's proxy shares."
Elias's heart tightened. "They can't. She doesn't own that much."
"She does. Your father gave her 18% before his death. And with the board split, they can force a vote."
He stepped forward, voice low. "Why tell me this?"
"Because I don't work for them. Not anymore. And because I owe you."
"For what?"
She placed her glass down and met his eyes.
"For not being the monster they said you were."
Hours later, in a dim-lit war room beneath Draxon Tower, Elias, Lewis, Jude, and Magritte pored over maps, asset logs, and sealed contracts.
Jude tapped a document. "This clause this is where they buried it. If the CEO is deemed 'unfit for leadership' by a board vote, the chairmanship passes to the next shareholder in line."
"Valerie," Elias whispered.
"They'll call a vote. Maybe within the week."
Lewis leaned in. "Then we don't wait."
"What do you suggest?" Magritte asked.
Elias stood slowly.
"We leak our own scandal."
The room fell silent.
"Controlled chaos," he explained. "We feed them a lie big enough to distract them. While we restructure ownership through shell firms and sweep support under the table."
Magritte blinked. "You're not just fighting back. You're flipping the board."
Elias nodded. "I didn't survive death to play by their rules."