FAZER LOGINBy the time they left the port authority building, the rain had almost stopped. The sky was still gray, but lighter now, as if the storm had passed but left something behind. The air felt cold and fresh, carrying the distant sound of ships moving through the harbor. No one spoke at first. They walked together in silence Cassian, Avelyn, Lucas, and Tan each lost in their own thoughts. The meeting had not been a failure. But it had not been a victory either. And in a situation like this, that difference mattered. “We bought time,” Lucas said eventually, breaking the silence. Tan nodded. “Yeah. But Sebastian’s not done.” “No,” Cassian replied calmly. “He’s just getting started.” Avelyn didn’t join the conversation. She walked slightly ahead of them, her steps steady, her expression calm. But her mind Her mind was still somewhere else. “That localized control idea,” Lucas added, glancing at her, “it was good. It gave them something to hold on to.” Avelyn gave a small nod wi
The conference room felt colder than before. Not because of the weather outside, but because of what now stood between both sides of the table. Doubt. Avelyn took her seat without a word. Cassian sat beside her, his posture relaxed, his expression unreadable. Across from them, the Rotterdam officials watched with quiet attention, their earlier neutrality now replaced with something more cautious. More guarded. The director folded his hands on the table. “You asked for time,” he said. “We’ve given it. I hope you have something meaningful to present.” Lucas stepped forward, connecting his system to the main display. His movements were quick, precise but there was tension in them. “We do,” he said. The screen lit up. Lines of code appeared first, followed by layered system architecture. Then timelines. Data comparisons. Structural differences. “This,” Lucas began, pointing at the first section, “is the data submitted to you this morning.” He paused, letting the officials take
The control room fell into a heavy silence. No one moved for a moment. The screens continued to glow, lines of data scrolling endlessly, but the energy in the room had shifted. What had started as a technical problem had become something far more dangerous. Avelyn stood still, her eyes fixed on the code in front of her. “It’s not just similar,” she said quietly. “It’s derived from our system. The structure, the logic… even the way the data flows. This didn’t come from outside observation. It came from inside access.” Lucas ran a hand through his hair, his usual composure slipping. “That would mean someone had direct visibility into our core framework. That’s not possible unless” “Unless they were part of the build,” Tan finished, his tone darker than usual. Cassian said nothing. He stood beside Avelyn, his gaze locked on the screen, but his mind had already moved ahead. Fast. Precise. Calculating. A traitor. The word settled heavily in the air. “Who had access?” Cassian aske
The rain had not stopped.By mid-morning, Rotterdam was covered in a cold, silver haze. The streets were wet, the sky heavy, and the tension inside the port authority building was even heavier.Avelyn walked beside Cassian in silence.Their footsteps echoed faintly along the polished floor. People moved around them officials, assistants, security but none of it felt real. Everything seemed distant.Muted.Because the only thing Avelyn could hear clearly…Was her own heartbeat.“Stay focused.”Cassian’s voice was low, steady, just enough for her to hear.Avelyn didn’t look at him.“I am.”But she knew he didn’t mean the meeting.And he knew she was lying.They stepped into the conference room together.Lucas and Tan were already inside, standing near the large table. A group of officials sat across from them, their expressions polite but guarded.At the center sat the lead director.A middle-aged man with sharp eyes and a carefully neutral expression.“Mr. Blackridge. Ms. Cross,” he sa
The rain started just before dawn.It came softly at first, tapping against the tall glass windows of the office, then slowly grew heavier, as if the sky itself had been holding something back for too long.Inside, the room was quiet.Too quiet.Avelyn Cross stood alone near the window, her arms folded loosely across her chest as she stared out at the gray harbor of Rotterdam. The ships were still moving, cranes still lifting cargo, the world still running as if nothing had changed.But something had.She could feel it.Today was the day the decision would be made.And yet, that wasn’t what weighed on her mind.Not really.A faint reflection stared back at her from the glass. Calm. Composed. Controlled.Just like always.But behind that calm…There was something else.Something she had spent years burying.“You didn’t sleep.”Cassian’s voice came from behind her.Low. Steady. Familiar.Avelyn didn’t turn immediately.“I could say the same to you.”There was a brief silence before she
The morning in Rotterdam was cold and gray. Clouds covered the sky, and a steady wind moved across the massive port. Ships arrived one after another, carrying goods from every part of the world. Inside the temporary office building near the harbor, Cassian and his team were already at work. No one mentioned it directly. But everyone understood the situation. This was not like Singapore. This was not like Dubai. Here, one word mattered more than anything else. Trust. A Different Approach Lucas stood in front of the main screen, adjusting the presentation. The usual data was still there. Efficiency rates. Cargo speed. Reduced delays. But something had changed. “We need to simplify this,” Avelyn said. Lucas looked at her. “It is already clear.” Avelyn shook her head. “Not for Europe.” She walked closer to the screen. “They do not just want numbers.” She pointed at the data. “They want to understand how decisions are made.” Lucas nodded slowly. “So we explain the
The article dropped at 6:03 a.m.This one wasn’t speculative.It was surgical.Cross & Moore Under Investigation? Questions Arise Over Conflict of Interest in Blackridge-Adjacent Litigation.I read it twice before the weight of it settled.Not gossip.Not romance.Professional damage.Naomi, still
By morning, I was done being escorted.Done being watched.Done being moved like a chess piece across someone else’s board.Cassian was in the conference wing with Dominic and legal counsel when I walked in unannounced.The room went quiet immediately.Dominic straightened. “Ms. Cross.”Cassian’s e
The law office was smaller than I expected.No glass walls. No intimidating marble floors. Just clean wood, warm light, and shelves filled with books that looked used not decorative. It smelled faintly of coffee and paper.I liked it immediately.Gideon Price’s name had been on the letter, but the
The Blackridge Foundation Banquet was held in the Grand Meridian Hall where ceilings stretched high enough to swallow sound and chandeliers dripped crystal like frozen rain.I hadn’t been back since the wedding.This time, I arrived alone.The silver gown Naomi insisted on buying clung to me in qui







