*"Testing, testing,"* Damian Thorne’s voice echoed through the cold room, dripping with dangerous amusement. *"Julian, you really should invest in better firewalls. Hostile takeover in progress."*

Clara stared at the ceiling speaker, her breath catching in the red-washed darkness. The heavy, magnet

"Turn it off," Clara said, her voice eerily calm.

Damian hit the power button. The screen went black, plunging the massive penthouse into a heavy, suffocating silence. He watched her carefully, his dark eyes analyzing her posture, waiting for the panic to set in.

But Clara didn't panic. She walk

"He's bluffing," Damian said, his voice a low, dangerous rumble that vibrated through the silent penthouse. He stepped closer to the desk, his eyes locked on the glowing screen of Clara’s burner phone. "Julian doesn't have the original blueprints. You told me those were destroyed years ago."

Clara