Chapter Twelve: The Invisible Strike

The city stretched out in front of Victor like a living chessboard. Every light in the skyline represented a move, a counter, a consequence. He didn't just see the pieces—he controlled them.

But tonight, Victor Hargrove wasn't sitting in his penthouse office or lounging by the window with a glass of scotch. Tonight, he was in a dimly lit room on the east side of Manhattan, a private, off-the-books meeting with Elliot Kane.

Elliot sat across from him, his face half-shadowed, a sly grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "So, Jared doesn't know anything yet?"

Victor shook his head, his tone clipped. "Jared thrives on control. He's too busy managing investors and holding his company together to see what's coming. That's how I want it to stay."

Elliot leaned back, steepling his fingers. "Good. Because if he finds out before I'm done, it could complicate things. You're asking me to kneecap a government contract—quietly. It's not impossible, but it's not clean either."

Victor slid a black folder across the table. Inside were classified details about Lumina's bid: projections, lobbying efforts, even meeting schedules for key government officials.

"I don't care about clean," Victor said. "I care about results. I want that contract off the table before Jared knows it's being touched. No leaks. No loose ends."

Elliot thumbed through the folder, his grin fading into a look of grudging admiration. "You're thorough, I'll give you that. Fine. Consider it handled."

Victor's lips barely twitched into a smile. "I don't pay for promises, Elliot. I pay for results. You'll hear from me when it's done."

At Lumina Technologies, Jared Kane was oblivious to the storm brewing against him. His focus was on the final stages of securing the government contract—a deal that would cement Lumina's future and silence his detractors.

In his cramped office, Jared was on a call with one of his lead investors, his tone upbeat despite the long hours weighing on him.

"I understand your concerns," Jared said smoothly, pacing in front of his desk. "But the contract is as good as ours. The government needs what we're offering. It's a perfect match, and we're the only company with the infrastructure to deliver."

The investor on the other end sounded skeptical, but Jared's confidence was infectious. By the time he hung up, he felt a renewed sense of control.

Nina, his assistant, knocked and entered with her usual brisk efficiency. "The final proposal's ready. I've triple-checked everything. We're set to submit tomorrow morning."

Jared nodded, taking the folder from her. "Good. The sooner this is locked in, the sooner we can stop fielding calls from panicked investors."

Nina hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I've been hearing some whispers. Rumors about… interference."

Jared raised an eyebrow. "Interference?"

"Nothing concrete," Nina admitted. "Just some chatter about external pressure on the selection process. Could be nothing, but I thought you should know."

Jared dismissed it with a wave of his hand