CHAPTER 26:A PAST UNCOVERED

The storm outside clawed at the windows of Nathan's penthouse, streaking rain across the glass as thunder rumbled in the distance. Inside, dim lights cast long shadows across the room, and the fireplace glowed faintly behind him. Nathan stood near the towering window, unmoving, his hands tucked into his pockets, jaw locked tight.

The boardroom voices still echoed in his head—accusations, doubt, threats veiled as concern.

"Until your twenty-eighth birthday, Victor is still the legal CEO."

"You've done well, but you've yet to prove you're capable of leading us through the global expansion."

"We'll give you one chance—revive Project Arclight. Get it off the ground in four months, or we'll reconsider your role."

Nathan exhaled sharply, trying to shake the tension pressing against his spine.

Four months. One impossible project. A board of snakes.

A soft knock echoed before the front door opened and Samson stepped inside, brushing rain from his coat and shoes. Nathan didn't turn as he entered.

"The accounts have been frozen," Samson said without preamble. "Every shell company, offshore account, and shadow transaction Victor and Damien had linked to Vosstech—they're locked. Quietly. Legally."

Nathan's lips twitched, almost into a smile. "That's the first real win we've had all week."

Samson stepped into the living room, setting his tablet down on the coffee table. "You sure about this, Nathan? That board meeting…" His eyes narrowed. "They're setting you up. One misstep, and they'll drag you out of that office."

"I'm aware," Nathan replied coolly. "They gave me a battlefield. I plan to win on it."

"And Project Arclight?" Samson asked, leaning forward. "No one's touched that in five years. It nearly bankrupted the company."

Nathan's jaw tightened. "Then it's time we resurrect it. This time, it won't fail."

Samson studied him. "You're playing with fire."

"I was born in it."

Samson's mouth lifted slightly in admiration. "Then I'll prepare the war chest. Arclight's blueprints are still archived. But we're going to need a miracle."

"Then find me one."

Meanwhile, across the city, Victor's voice echoed through the wood-paneled study of his estate.

"What do you mean they're frozen?" he barked into the phone.

Damien leaned against the desk, arms crossed, watching his uncle's growing fury with a smirk. Victor ended the call and hurled the phone against the wall, shattering it into pieces.

"It's him," Damien said casually. "Nathan. Who else would have the power—and the guts—to touch those accounts?"

Victor rubbed his temples. "That bastard. He's using the company's internal auditors to track us. He's smarter than I gave him credit for."

"He's dangerous," Damien muttered. "You said we'd outsmart him, but all we've done is push him further. Maybe it's time we stop playing chess and just take him off the board."

Victor shot him a look. "You're suggesting we kill him?"

"We did it before," Damien hissed. "Don't act righteous now. You were the one who planned his parents' deaths. I'm just finishing what we started."

Victor's eyes blazed. "You think I don't know what's at stake? If Nathan dies now—so close to the company being transferred back to him—it'll look suspicious. People will dig. They'll find things."

Damien sneered. "Then maybe you should've cleaned up better the first time."

Victor strode to the liquor cart and poured a drink, the glass clinking against the decanter.

"I told you, no mistakes. Not again."

Damien stood straighter. "Speaking of mistakes… I did some digging."

Victor glanced at him over the rim of the glass.

"The truck driver you paid to kill Nathan's parents?" Damien said, voice cold. "He had a daughter. You know where she works now?"

Victor lowered the glass slowly.

"Vosstech," Damien finished. "Her name is Stephanie Quinn."

Victor's grip on the glass faltered.

"She's the one Nathan's been circling around." Damien went on. "The one he's been meeting. The one who walked into our company like a ghost out of your past."

Victor's face paled, a rare crack in his always-imposing presence.

"I made sure her father didn't talk," he muttered. "I had no idea he had a daughter inside the company."

"Well, you do now," Damien said darkly. "And if Nathan finds out that you killed her father after using him as your pawn…"

Victor's hand clenched. "We need to control this. We cannot let that girl talk. Not to anyone. Especially not to Nathan."

"What do you want to do?" Damien asked, his voice low and dangerous.

Victor looked out the window, silent for a long time. Then he said, "We don't touch her. Not yet. If we make one wrong move, it'll unravel everything. But if she remembers something… anything…"

"I'll make sure she doesn't," Damien said with a devilish grin. "I'll get close to her."

Victor turned toward him. "We play this carefully. Nathan thinks he's winning. But he's surrounded. One false step—and he falls just like his parents did."