Chapter 7: The Scarred Rival
The unspoken name suddenly hung heavy and cold in the quiet penthouse.
"Victor," Elias stated, his voice barely above a harsh whisper.
Marcus nodded slowly, his expression hardening into absolute stone.
"Victor Sterling has been trying to hostilely acquire your company for years, boss."
"He must have hired Seraphina to systematically infiltrate your inner circle."
Elias paced slowly in front of the massive floor-to-ceiling windows.
The beautiful Manhattan skyline suddenly felt like a glowing, dangerous cage.
He had severely underestimated the sheer ruthlessness of his corporate rival.
A gentle clinking sound finally broke the heavy tension in the living room.
Elias turned to see Lily sitting quietly at the large mahogany dining table.
She was carefully eating a steaming bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup.
The private chef had prepared the comforting meal quickly and silently.
Lily held the heavy silver spoon with both hands, savoring every warm sip.
Elias walked over and sat down in the high-backed chair next to her.
He watched the young girl eat, feeling a profound new sense of protective duty.
"Is the soup good, Lily?" Elias asked kindly.
She looked up from the bowl and offered him a small, genuine smile.
"It is the best thing I have ever tasted, Mister."
"You can just call me Elias," he gently corrected her.
"Okay, Elias," she replied softly, returning her focus to the warm meal.
Elias looked over at Marcus, who was busy typing frantically on his secure tablet.
"Marcus, I need you to freeze all of my personal and corporate accounts immediately."
"I want every single asset locked down behind maximum digital encryption."
"If Victor and Seraphina wanted my empire, they are going to find an impenetrable fortress."
Marcus tapped the glowing screen a few more times with rapid, practiced precision.
"Consider it done, Elias."
"No one is moving a single dime without your direct biometric approval."
Elias picked up Seraphina's leather notebook from the polished table.
The handwritten evidence inside was enough to put Victor Sterling away for life.
However, he needed to make absolutely sure they did not realize the assassination had failed.
He needed the syndicate to believe that the poisoned dessert had worked perfectly.
"Marcus, we need to completely black out all outside communications from this penthouse."
"Let the entire financial world believe that Elias Vance is currently fighting for his life."
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"We will force Victor to step out of the shadows and claim his false victory."
The counter-trap was officially set, and this time, Elias was the one holding the strings.
