The sun hadn't even touched the skyline when headlines exploded across Valemir.
"KIP MANDARI ANNOUNCES HOSTILE TAKEOVER OF JEFFERSON GLOBAL'S SUBSIDIARY—WEST HAVEN TECH."
The city buzzed. Stock markets jolted. Executives scrambled. And Elsa Jefferson?
She was already on her feet.
In her office at Elaris Luxe, the walls trembled from the energy she exuded. Her assistants stood like statues, too afraid to breathe wrong.
"Kip wants a war?" she said coldly, her eyes scanning the press release again. "Then I'll give him something he'll never forget."
Chess leaned against the doorframe, watching her with amused calm. He was dressed in a simple grey coat over a black turtleneck, but the air around him radiated latent danger—like a volcano napping.
"You know, I could just make him disappear," he offered dryly, sipping from a ceramic cup.
Elsa looked up. "Tempting. But not yet. He wants the game. Let's give it to him."
A slow smirk curved Chess's lips. "There's the fire."
She walked over, standing close enough to feel his warmth but not quite touching. "I'm done playing defense, Chess. This is our city. He just forgot."
Down in the city's central financial district, Kip Mandari stood in front of a crowd of press, flanked by sharply dressed lawyers and corporate puppets.
"West Haven Tech has stagnated under Jefferson Global," he said, his voice smooth, charming, calculated. "My vision will transform it into the beating heart of innovation again."
Reporters bombarded him with questions.
"Mr. Mandari, do you expect retaliation from Elsa Jefferson?"
A faint smile danced on his lips. "If Ms. Jefferson's serious about legacy, she'll realize it's time to step aside."
Elsewhere, Elsa's phone buzzed. A secure message flashed on her screen—encrypted, red-coded.
From: Serena TalekSubject: Internal leaks confirmed. West Haven's financials were tampered with three weeks ago. Kip's move was premeditated.
Elsa hissed through her teeth.
"Snake," she muttered.
Chess moved closer, reading over her shoulder. "Let me guess... Talek found Kip's claws inside your accounting team?"
Elsa nodded. "He's been planting this coup for months."
"Well," Chess said softly, "it's time to remind him who he's dealing with."
That night, Elsa called a private war council. Not at Jefferson Global's headquarters—but at the underground level of a derelict warehouse Chess personally renovated for secure operations. A safehouse known only to their inner circle.
Serena Talek. Logan Frey. Chess. Elsa. Even Warren Blackstone, a corporate rogue who once served Kip but defected after Chess crushed one of Kip's shadow plays.
Everyone was gathered.
Elsa stood at the center, commanding presence in a dark-blue suit with her hair in a fierce knot.
"This isn't just about one company," she said. "It's about principle. Kip thinks he can rise from our shadows. I say we cut off the sun."
Serena handed her a tablet.
"This contains every shell company Kip used to siphon funds and hide shares," she said. "We can expose it all. Legally."
"And illegally?" Chess asked, his voice almost playful.
Logan cleared his throat. "I may or may not have found backdoors into Kip's private banking servers."
Elsa raised an eyebrow. "And you didn't tell me sooner?"
"You were busy making boardrooms shake," Logan grinned.
"Perfect," Elsa said. "We go public in seventy-two hours."
"But before that," Chess added, "let's give Kip a taste of what he's playing with."
That night, a low hum crackled through Valemir's dark web.
Private investors were pulled into closed channels. Whispers of Kip's financial irregularities—anonymous tips. Several government watchdog accounts were mysteriously fed internal audit leaks.
By morning, Kip Mandari's PR team had three fires to put out and only one fire extinguisher.
Back at Elaris Luxe, Elsa leaned back in her chair as she watched the panic unfold in real time.
"This is just the beginning," she murmured.
From behind her, Chess placed a kiss on the crown of her head. "Let him swing. The harder they fall when the thread snaps."
Their war had begun.
But this time, they weren't on opposite sides.
They were a storm—coiled, cold, and coming for blood.