The Black Swan Helmsley Novels & Stories

as much as I currently did: Dominic Thorne. Thorne was the CEO of Blackwood Holdings, the only firm with enough capital to stall a Vane takeover. He was a shark, a man who dealt in secrets and leverage with the same ease that Silas dealt in billions. I hit 'Send' before I could lose my nerve, the small screen glowing like a beacon in the darkened room.

Quillion growled and was about to charge in to aid them when a deafening roar shook the ground. A military-grade helicopter emerges from the horizon. Alpha Barkus, the leader of the Black Huntsmen wolf pack, stormed onto the scene. His sharp eyes fixed on a nearby vehicle emblazoned with the Black Order’s insignia. Oblivious to its occupants, Alpha Barkus commands the pilot to fire at the vehicle. Quillion felt everything was in slow motion. Velmont's eyes widened in horror. He opened his mouth to shout at them, but it was too late. Vesper, Alpha Qillalon, the hunters, and the Headmaster were surprised by the missile aimed at them.

A high-end, ruined mess. "Pull it together, Gal," he muttered to his reflection. He followed the scent of fresh coffee and expensive tobacco toward the kitchen. He heard voices—low, feminine, and sharp. He stepped into the doorway, his boots silent on the marble. Gammer "Gam" Hayes was at the table, her hands trembling as she clutched a mug. Opposite her sat a woman who looked like she’d been carved from ice and dipped in gold. Lydia Blackwell.

Helena finally worded her shock to her fiance who was busy typing something on his phone. “My empire,” He answered, raising his eyes at her. Helena blinked. “This?” She motioned towards the building with her finger. “...is your empire?” Evan pushed his phone onto his pocket and gave Helena his full attention. “This is my shady world, Helena. It is as ugly and dangerous as this shattered building. Darkness is synonymous with my business but it's grand. And soon you are going to witness this grandness.” Helena gulped and kept gazing at him. Now she was more apprehensive imagining what interaction she was going to have in his world. Richard opened the door for him. “Capo.”

Whispered conversations cut short as I passed. I walked to my desk. Helena was there, waiting. Quiet. Sharp. “Morning,” she said. No pleasantries. Just business. “Morning,” I replied. “Something’s coming,” she said softly. “And it’s personal this time. Not corporate.” I blinked. “Personal?” “Someone close to Mr Blackwood,” she said. “Someone who could destabilise everything if handled incorrectly.” My stomach tightened. Ivy had her schemes. The board had their manoeuvres.

“Wolves are relics of the past. If the balance is broken, if the Guardian is removed from the equation, Dante Blackwood will become the monster the city already fears. And then we will have the justification needed for the total extermination of your kind. Humans will rule the land once more, and we will be the architects of that new order.” Helena’s involvement in the supernatural plot had just reached a systemic scale. She realized Richard had been nothing more than a pawn, a distraction used by conspirators like Malachi to drive Dante away from her. Without the Alpha’s protection and without the Thorne anchor, the Blackwood pack would spiral into self-destructive violence that would justi

Helena turned instantly, already reading the situation from Althea’s expression alone. “What happened?” Althea stepped forward, breath tight but controlled. “We don’t have time,” she said. “We need to evacuate.” Helena stilled. “What?” “Blackstone is compromised.” The words landed hard. Unavoidable. Helena didn’t ask another question. She moved. “Mr. Whyte.” She called sharply towards the door. The man who had just entered, alerted by the earlier call, stepped forward immediately. “We need to secure and move. Full protocol. Quiet execution. Blackstone is compromised.”

They didn't care about Helios' screaming; immediately, they picked him up and kicked him into a hole that they had already dug out. "I'm sorry, Mr. Hector! I'm really sorry!" Helios said in despair. "I have an important piece of information in exchange for my life! Harvey's the boss of Sky Corporation that has been kicking up a storm in Wolsing lately!" Hector was stunned. But after that, his indifference gave way to a gentle smile. "That's valuable information, but it's not valuable enough for your life. Bury him."

Ama concluded that it was unlikely she would encounter Emma. The Blackwoods also had other cousins and distant relatives who contributed to the family's business success, but the focus remained on the Blackwood brothers. They are going to host their annual gala/ art exhibition this week, and according to the file Mr. Reynolds gave to her- the necklace she needed to steal would be deployed during the event. “Jesus Christ, Ama! What are you doing?” Ama was jolted back to reality by the angry voice of her colleague, Stella. She shook her head in surprise and looked down at her hands, realizing she had left the water running in the sink, causing it to flood the floor.

A tall man with dark hair trailed behind her, stopping to pop a strawberry in his mouth before catching up. “You must be Olivia Statler,” the woman greeted me, extending her hand. I shook it, surprised to find it strong and calloused. “Yes, and you must be Isabel Black,” I replied. I had heard that the wife of the hotel magnate, Noah Black, still worked daily with sharks. Her strong grip and suntanned skin pretty much confirmed that. I was slightly surprised. I figured that anyone who married into billions would relax into a life of leisure, but from what I had heard, she had actually increased the extent of her research.