Chapter 15 - Shadows in the Bloodline
Alexander stared at the screen for several long seconds before turning the display away from Eleanor and Clara.
“Alexander. Madeline Robas was merely the courier. The shipment seized on Neptune Seven belonged to House Sterling. You have 24 hours to return our cargo before the city burns.”
The message vanished, automatically wiping itself from the device's temporary memory.
House Sterling. The premier banking dynasty of the continent—old money so deeply entrenched in the nation's infrastructure that even the Vance family had treaded lightly around their investments for half a century. Madeline hadn't acted out of petty greed alone; she had been backed by the apex predators of the financial underworld.
""Dad?"" Clara called out, noticing the subtle change in his posture. ""What is it? Is there another problem with the harbor?""
Alexander locked the phone, sliding it into his pocket, his face returning to its impenetrable mask of aristocratic calm. He looked at Clara, then at Eleanor, whose protective instincts flared at the tension in his eyes.
""Nothing we cannot handle, my dear,"" Alexander said smoothly, stepping toward the door. ""Get dressed. The board will be waiting for their new director at noon.""
""Alexander,"" Eleanor said in a low, warning tone as he stepped into the hallway. ""Who was that?""
Alexander paused at the threshold, glancing back over his shoulder. The dawn light hit his silver hair, casting long, sharp shadows across the polished corridor.
May you like
""An old ghost, Eleanor,"" he whispered, loud enough only for her ears. ""One that forgot why I survived the last purge.""
As the elevator doors closed on Alexander heading back down to the command center, the private security alarms on the subterranean floor chirped—a single, unauthorized breach registered on the deep fiber-optic line directly beneath the tower’s vault."
