We walked out of the CEO’s office together, a united front of corporate invincibility.
The outer reception area was usually a place of hushed voices and soft classical music. Today, it felt like a cri scene.
Three n in dark, off-the-rack suits were standing near the elevators. They had the thick necks and watchful eyes of federal investigators—forr cops who had traded their beat for white-collar cri.
But they weren’t the threat. The threat was the woman standing by Sarah’s desk, calmly examining a piece of modern art on the wall.
She turned as we entered.
She was in her late thirties, with sharp, angular features and dark hair cut into a precise, no-nonsense bob that brushed her jawline. She wore a tailored, charcoal trench coat over a simple black pantsuit. There was no jewelry, no expensive watch, no visible markers of wealth.
But the way she held herself—perfectly still, her dark eyes taking in every milliter of the room in a fraction of a second—scread danger. She didn’t look like a lawyer or an accountant. She looked like a sniper.
"Ms. Sterling," the woman said. Her voice was smooth, professional, and completely devoid of warmth. "I apologize for the unannounced visit. I find that scheduling appointnts gives people too much ti to shred docunts."
Victoria offered a smile that was pure, polished frost. "And you are?"
The woman reached into her trench coat and produced a leather badge wallet, flipping it open to reveal a gold shield and an ID card.
"Evelyn Cross," she said. "Director of Enforcent, Securities and Exchange Commission. These are Special Agents Miller, Vance, and Cho."
Victoria didn’t look at the n. She kept her eyes locked on Evelyn. "Director Cross. It’s highly unusual for the Director of Enforcent to personally serve a routine inquiry. Usually, you send a junior associate with a clipboard."
"This isn’t a routine inquiry, Ms. Sterling," Evelyn said, slipping the badge back into her coat. "And I prefer to handle anomalies personally."
Evelyn’s dark eyes drifted past Victoria and landed on . The gaze was heavy, analytical. I felt like a bug pinned to a corkboard.
"And you must be Jake Hart," Evelyn said.
I didn’t let my surprise show. I gave her a polite, asured nod. "Director Cross."
"I read the press release this morning," Evelyn continued, taking a slow step toward us. "A college student, elevated to Managing Partner of a forty-billion-dollar holding company overnight. A fascinating career trajectory, Mr. Hart. Truly the Arican Dream."
The sarcasm was subtle, buried under layers of professional courtesy, but it was razor-sharp.
"I focus on results, Director," Victoria intervened smoothly, drawing the crosshairs back to herself. "Mr. Hart provided invaluable consulting during the recent... restructuring of our board. Vanguard rewards rit, regardless of age."
"I’m sure," Evelyn said, her tone implying she believed exactly the opposite. She reached into her briefcase and pulled out a thick manila envelope, handing it to Victoria.
"This is a preservation order," Evelyn said, her voice dropping into a clinical, legal cadence. "Effective imdiately, Vanguard Holdings is prohibited from deleting, altering, or moving any digital or physical communications, trading logs, or financial records dating back to the last fiscal quarter."
Victoria took the envelope, not bothering to open it. "On what grounds?"
"On the grounds of the Aegis Mining acquisition," Evelyn said, her eyes narrowing slightly. "A mid-sized tech firm discovers the largest lithium deposit in North Arica. Before the geological surveys are even filed with the state, Vanguard Holdings aggressively acquires a controlling interest in the stock. Simultaneously, Aldridge Enterprises—a company with zero history in mining—purchases the exact parcels of land required to extract the lithium, effectively creating a monopoly."
Evelyn tilted her head, a predator studying its prey.
"It’s a brilliant maneuver, Ms. Sterling. Flawless, really. But it requires a level of foresight that borders on the supernatural. Or, more likely, it requires a massive, coordinated network of illegal insider information."
"Vanguard employs the best market analysts in the world, Director," Victoria said, her voice dripping with icy condescension. "We saw a trend in rare-earth tal futures and we acted on it. It’s called capitalism. I’m sorry if our analysts are faster than your regulators."
Evelyn didn’t blink. She didn’t rise to the bait.
"We’ll see," Evelyn said softly. "My team will be setting up in conference room B. We’ll require full access to your trading floor servers, your executive email archives, and the personal communication devices of your senior staff. Including yours, Mr. Hart."
I felt a cold knot tighten in my stomach. If they took my phone, they wouldn’t find Project Oracle—Nia had scrubbed the connection—but they would find the encrypted ssages to Sofia Aldridge. They would find the breadcrumbs.
I focused on Evelyn Cross. I needed to know exactly what I was dealing with.
System, I thought. Observe.
The blue text shimred into existence, hovering just above Evelyn’s dark hair.
[Target Profile]
Na: Evelyn Cross
Rank: Platinum (Federal Inquisitor)
Title: The Bloodhound
Affection: 0/100 (Hostile)
Stats:
Intelligence: 96
Willpower: 98
Perception: 99
Corruption: 0
[Warning: Target possesses absolute Willpower. Standard coercion and intimidation tactics will fail. Target is immune to financial bribery.]
My breath hitched slightly. Willpower 98. Corruption 0.
She wasn’t Richard Sterling. She wasn’t a greedy billionaire looking for an angle. She was a true believer. She was a woman who would burn her own house down if it ant catching a criminal in the basent.
My [Emperor’s Presence] wouldn’t crush her. It would only make her fight harder.
"You’ll have our full cooperation, Director," I said, stepping forward, placing a gentle, restraining hand on Victoria’s arm before she could argue the server access. "Vanguard has nothing to hide. We’ll have our IT departnt set up guest credentials for your team imdiately."
Evelyn looked at , her dark eyes searching my face for the lie.
"I look forward to it, Mr. Hart," she said.
She turned and walked toward the conference room, her agents falling into step behind her like a pack of wolves.
Victoria waited until the glass doors of the conference room clicked shut before turning to , her eyes wide with suppressed panic.
"Are you insane?" she hissed under her breath. "If they get into the servers—"
"They won’t find Oracle," I said, keeping my voice to a barely audible whisper. "But if we fight them on the preservation order, they’ll co back with a federal warrant and seize the building. We have to play the ga, Victoria. We have to let them look, and we have to make sure they only see what we want them to see."
I looked at the closed door of the conference room.
The fast, violent war was over. This was going to be a slow, agonizing war of attrition. A ga of inches, played against a woman who didn’t miss a single detail.
Evelyn Cross was here. And the Inquisition had officially begun.
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