The Unraveling Begins

Ethan didn't waste a second. Back at his office, the door locked, blinds drawn, he inserted the USB drive into a secure, air-gapped laptop. The screen flickered to life as folders populated—emails, offshore transfers, confidential reports, and encrypted communications.

Ryan leaned over Ethan's shoulder, his face darkening as file after file spilled Blackthorn's secrets into the light.

"They're funding illegal research," Ryan muttered, scrolling faster. "Human trials in countries without regulations, under-the-table deals with unlicensed biotech labs, and AI development so far off the grid it makes black ops look transparent."

Ethan's jaw clenched. "If this goes public, Blackthorn won't just lose investors—they'll trigger global investigations and sanctions. Every regulatory body from Geneva to Washington will want blood."

Lisa adjusted her glasses, her face pale. "But if we dump everything at once, they'll know exactly where it came from. We need to leak just enough to make them panic—but not enough for them to trace the source."

Selena's arms were crossed, her foot tapping impatiently. "And what about Pierce? We can scare the investors, but if Pierce holds the board together, they'll circle the wagons around him."

Lisa scrolled through the files again, this time slower. "Pierce is sloppy. Offshore accounts, undeclared assets, personal expenses buried inside corporate projects—but there's more." She paused, eyes narrowing. "He's been using Blackthorn's resources and muscle for personal deals—backroom acquisitions for his own portfolio, using company leverage to crush competitors that had nothing to do with Blackthorn's strategy."

Priya frowned. "That's bad, but do you really think the board will care? It's not like these people have moral standards."

Ethan's smile was cold and sharp. "They don't care about ethics—but they worship money and power. If we make it look like Pierce's greed is bleeding them dry, they'll tear him apart to save themselves."

The first leak dropped at 7:00 a.m. sharp. An anonymous source fed classified financial documents to a respected independent watchdog. Within hours, business media picked up the story—questioning Blackthorn's ethics, their questionable ties to off-the-books research, and sudden inconsistencies in their global investments.

Their stock dipped 2%—a tremor, not an earthquake. But in Blackthorn's world, even tremors make shareholders nervous.

By noon, the second wave hit. Internal emails—leaked to a financial blog notorious for exposing corporate scandals—revealed Pierce's private wealth funneling through Blackthorn's subsidiaries. His personal projects, luxury estates, and offshore slush funds were all tied back to company resources.

Within Blackthorn's ranks, dissent spread like wildfire. Private group chats buzzed with whispers—was Pierce compromised? Was his personal greed dragging the empire down?

Ryan leaned back in his chair, arms behind his head, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "They're spiraling. I'm already seeing one board member quietly floating the idea of a no-confidence vote."

Ethan's fingers drummed the table. "Perfect. But we don't let up. We drip-feed the leaks until they're drowning in their own paranoia."

Selena's eyes gleamed. "Let's break an empire."

That evening, Ethan's phone buzzed. Unknown number.

He answered, saying nothing.

A low, dangerous voice filled the silence. "You've made a mistake."

Ethan smiled. "No—you did. And by the time you figure out how badly, it'll already be over."

There was a long pause. Then the call ended.

Ethan stared at his reflection in the darkened window, his expression unreadable.

The war had officially begun.