Chapter One Hundred Twenty-TwoElena’s POVThe air seven hundred feet above the Hudson River was bitter, sharp, and carried the first stinging scent of autumn frost.From the floor-to-ceiling glass of my corner study, Manhattan looked entirely submissive—a vast grid of concrete, glass, and steel bathed in the pale, cold light of 7:00 AM. Below, cargo barges glided down the grey water toward the Atlantic, their automated navigation lights pulsing in precise, mathematical synchronization with the algorithms running on my servers four floors below.Julian stepped through the double oak doors into the study, holding an unbranded, seal-skin leather binder stamped in gold with the primary emblem of the Vance Global Master Treasury."The European Union Transport Commission signed the secondary Atlantic transit waivers at eleven o'clock Paris time," Julian reported, his voice crisp, clear, and utterly calm. "Ambassador Laurent personally witnessed the execution in Brussels. Every deep-water p
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