Romans & histoires Oblivion Blackwood Company

The SUV spun wildly, rolling once before crashing into a ditch near the edge of the woods. Silence. Then, ringing. I was upside down, dangling from my seatbelt. The shock was profound, but the suppressant kept the fear away. "Stay secured!" Zev roared at me. He looked perfectly fine. He ripped the damaged door open. He looked out at the scene. "Ambush!" Zev shouted into the night. "Blackwood's protocols have been breached!" Shadows moved in the woods. They were too large to be human. They smelled of iron and raw, chaotic power.

While they were waiting for their order, Elara looked at him and asked, “So, Nathan, where do you work? I mean, what do you do for a living?” Nathan answered without missing a beat, “I work with one of the biggest companies in the country. I don't know if you've ever heard of Blackwood Group of Companies?” The mention of the Blackwoods made Elara's expression turn stiff, but it was only for a split second before she returned to her usual self. But the change in her expression did not escape Nathan's eagle-like eyes. He could feel that Elara stiffened the moment he mentioned the Blackwoods. Elara nodded, “I've heard of them. They're a big conglomerate, and they deal with lots of business.”

“Not bad for five years of stolen moments, brutal hours, and borderline criminal ingenuity.” It was more than ‘not bad.’ Blackwood Industries was no longer a shadowy corporate entity; it was a colossus. A vertically integrated empire with tentacles in biotech, pharmaceuticals, secure data, and strategic holdings. It was a fortress of legitimacy and influence, built brick by brick with a dual purpose: to reshape the human world they operated in, and to create an unassailable power base for the war they knew was coming in their own.

Although part of her might have been happy to corner Lucian again, if yesterday's incident really leaked to the public, it would affect the company's stock price. Blackwood Corporation was not just a company, but a business empire that spanned across multiple fields—automotive, technology, finance, and even property. Behind its great name stood four main pillars: Blackwood Motors with its electric cars and self-driving systems, Blackwood Tech, which dominated AI and cyber security, Blackwood Finance in the world of finance, and Blackwood Real Estate, which dominated property.

“Lena, if Nate finds out now, it wouldn’t be his fiancée alone he loses. He could very well lose his position as CEO of the company.” “How?” I frowned, not following. “Blackwood Industries is in the middle of a merger with an international company,” he explained. “I can’t tell you exactly the magnitude of this, but it’s massive. We can’t afford for anything to go wrong.” My pulse quickened as the weight of it sank in. “If Nate is seen as emotionally unstable again, the board could force him to step aside—temporarily, or even permanently. Nate has enemies in the company, people waiting for an opportunity like this to get him out. People like our uncle—Victor Blackwood.”

"Sierra's gone with Lucas to find the feral and Chloe." Bobby's heart sank. They weren't the greatest with crowds. It was why they preferred computers and software. There could be a million people watching in on what you were doing but you were protected behind the screen. You didn't have to hear what others had to say or feel their judgement. Cliché as it was, they preferred working in the shadows. "You've got this." Alex sensed the vampire's trepidation, a hand coming to rest on their shoulder. "And I will be there to back you up. So, let's go."

"He's demanding audience, Alpha. Says he has a proposition that might prevent... unpleasantness." Unpleasantness. Such a delicate word for the kind of territorial war that could paint these mountains red with supernatural blood. I found Blackwood waiting in the courtyard like he owned it, flanked by three wolves who moved with the particular swagger of creatures who'd never learned proper respect for established territory. He looked older than I remembered—gray threading through dark hair, lines around his eyes that spoke of years spent in exile—but his amber gaze held the same calculating intelligence that had made him dangerous three decades ago.

And yet, she ran—slipping through his grasp before he could properly lay claim to her. And now, the past he had buried was clawing its way back to the surface. The moment Mrs. Ellis had uttered that name—Blackwood—something inside him had snapped. Adrian Blackwood. The Blackwoods were once a feared empire that thrived in the filth of the underworld, trafficking women and girls like cattle. But they had been all but annihilated by his own hands. Valerian had personally seen to their downfall, wiping out the roots so thoroughly that there should have been nothing left.

"For ten years, I ran this company with the soul of a Vulture. I cleaned your streets while I balanced your books. I’ve been the monster you needed so you could sleep in your glass towers. Today, the board is dissolved. Today, Vane Enterprises returns to the dirt where it was born. If you have a debt, come to the Nest. If you have a problem, find the leather. But as of this moment, Blackwood City belongs to the Syndicate." Julian turned to Elena. He reached out his hand, and she took it, her fingers interlacing with his. The silver collar at her throat glinted under the studio lights, a crown for the woman who had hacked a kingdom into ruins. "Dominic," Julian called out over his shoulder.

Vivienne had been awake most of the night. "Here's what I have," she said, turning her laptop toward the group. "Blackwood's renamed location matches an abandoned forestry station about four hours north. Satellite imagery shows no recorded activity in decades." She paused. "But thermal scans from the last two weeks show heat signatures. Recent ones." "Edmund," Gabriel said immediately. "Maybe," Vivienne allowed. "Or whoever he answers to." Alexander was already on his feet. "Then we go now." "We go prepared," Isaac corrected, quiet but firm. "Blackwood survived thirty years by being forgotten. I'd rather not assume it's stayed empty just because the maps say so."