The morning sun hit the glass facade of the Ispire Inc. with a sharp, clinical brilliance that seemed to strip the city of its shadows. Inside the executive suite, the atmosphere was a stark contrast to the chaotic, emotionally charged atmosphere of the previous night.
Darien stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, his hands clasped firmly behind his back. He had already been awake for hours, his mind a whirlwind of global markets and ancient territorial laws. He was dressed in a bespoke charcoal suit that made him look every bit the billionaire titan, but the way he stood revealed the predator beneath the silk. He was watching the city below, but he wasn't looking at the traffic or the pedestrians. He was looking at the board, calculating the next move in a game that had just become much more dangerous.
