November 1, 2020.
The world was still trying to claw its way back from the depths of the pandemic. The streets of Manila were slowly coming back to life, but the reminders of the crisis were everywhere. Pedestrians still wore N95 and surgical masks, signs outside businesses reminded people to sanitize their hands, and temperature scanners stood at the entrance of every building. Even inside Sentinel Systems, employees maintained social distancing protocols, desks spaced apart, and conference rooms only allowed limited personnel at a time.
Matthew sat in his office, staring at the financial reports on his curved ultra-wide monitor. Sentinel was thriving despite the pandemic, but every move had to be calculated. The economic instability meant that businesses that once seemed invincible were vulnerable. This was the perfect time to acquire, expand, and consolidate power.
Yet, despite all of that, his thoughts kept drifting back to his family.