Chapter 102
Chapter 102:
“Sir p>
“I said stop the damn car!” Sterling shouted.
He couldn’t go in there. Not with the cameras. Not with Jones guarding the door. If he stepped out, he would be the desperate ex-husband crashing her victory party. The narrative would slip from his fingers.
He watched the building, his hands clenching into fists until his knuckles turned white. He saw movement in the lobby. Aurora, laughing with Victor King. She looked radiant. Untouchable.
“Turn around,” Sterling choked out. “Just… drive p>
He sank back into the leather seat, the humiliation burning hotter than the alcohol in his veins. He wouldn’t confront her here. Not on her turf. He would wait. He would find her when she was alone.
Elias Thorne sat in his home office, a space that looked more like the bridge of a starship than a room in a house. Screens lined the walls, displaying market trends, news feeds, and complex algorithms.
He was bored.
The collapse of Thorne Industries’ stock was fascinating from an economic standpoint, but personally, it was just noise. He had shorted the stock weeks ago. He was making millions while his nephew burned.
The door creaked open.
“Uncle E p>
Elias didn’t look up from his monitor. “Leo. Unless the house is on fire, go away p>
Leo, his teenage nephew from his other brother, walked in anyway. He was holding a tablet, his eyes glued to the screen.
“You have to help me. This level is impossible. It’s pure logic, but the patterns keep shifting p>
Lατєѕτ ϲнαρτєrs ιn
Elias sighed, spinning his chair around. “I am not a walkthrough guide for your video games p>
“It’s Apex,” Leo said, thrusting the tablet into Elias’s face. “The game everyone is talking about. Look at this puzzle. It’s… it’s chess, but not chess p>
Elias glanced at the screen. He intended to dismiss it immediately.
His eyes locked onto the grid.
It was a variation of the Xiangqi endgame, blended with Western chess mechanics. The pieces were stylized as mythical creatures, but the movement logic was ancient.
“Give me that,” Elias said.
He took the tablet. The interface was sleek, responsive. He moved a piece—a ‘Shadow Knight.’ The AI countered instantly.
Elias frowned. “Interesting p>
He saw the trap. The AI was baiting him to the left flank. He ignored it, pushing his center pawn.
Three moves later, the screen flashed gold. VICTORY.
A message box popped up.
Well played, Strategist. Few see the center path. – Phoenix.
Elias stared at the name. Phoenix.