SHADOWS UNDERGROUND: THE PRICE OF TRUTH

Sofia grabbed the heavy aluminum medical case, her knuckles white, ready to swing it at whoever stepped through the elevator doors.

A tall, elderly man stepped into the foyer. He was dressed in an impeccably tailored three-piece charcoal suit, leaning lightly on a silver-topped walking cane. His hair was snow-white, his face lined with the deep grooves of a lifetime spent in predatory corporate warfare. Beside him stood two armed bodyguards wearing hotel security pins.

""Julian?"" The old man’s voice trembled with a strange mixture of disbelief and profound shock.

Julian managed to prop himself up on one elbow, his breathing still ragged, his dark hair plastered to his forehead with sweat.

""Father,"" Julian wheezed, his voice raw. ""You’re... early.""

Arthur Thorne stared at his son, his eyes drifting down to the puncture mark on Julian’s neck, the blood on his shoulder, and Sofia kneeling on the floor beside him in her soaked banquet uniform. The old man’s jaw tightened, a terrifying, icy stillness washing over his weathered features.

""I received an anonymous message on my secure line,"" Arthur said slowly, gesturing toward the bodyguards, who quickly fanned out to secure the suite’s entrances. ""Telling me that my son was lying dead in the basement, and that I should sign the proxy agreement if I wanted Claire to see tomorrow morning.""

Julian closed his eyes, letting out a bitter, exhausted breath. ""Elena was working for Marcus Vane. They tried to poison me in the parking garage. If it weren't for this woman... I’d be in a body bag.""

Arthur turned his piercing gaze onto Sofia. For a long moment, the billionaire said nothing. Then, slowly, with an elegance that defied his years, Arthur Thorne bowed his head.

""You have saved the life of my only son,"" Arthur said softly. ""The Thorne family does not forget such debts.""

""With all due respect, sir,"" Sofia said, her voice shaking with residual adrenaline, ""your daughter Claire signed her shares away two hours ago. Elena told us herself. Vane doesn't need Julian's death anymore—he has enough to force the vote at midnight.""

Arthur’s face darkened, a cold, predatory smile curling the edges of his thin lips.

""Claire is ambitious, but she is young and foolish,"" Arthur murmured, turning toward the panoramic window overlooking the city. ""She does not understand the corporate bylaws of Thorne Enterprises. Her shares are held in a blind trust until her thirtieth birthday. Legally, she cannot sign over so much as a single paperclip without Julian's countersignature.""

Julian forced himself onto his feet, leaning on the back of a sofa. ""That's why Vane tried to kill me. He didn't want my refusal. He needed me declared deceased so the power of attorney would automatically default to Claire.""

""Precisely,"" Arthur said, checking his pocket watch with chilling calm. ""It is eleven-forty-five. Marcus Vane is currently holding court in the grand ballroom on thirty-four, preparing to announce the merger to the press.""