The morning rose over the city with a strange, brittle stillness. It felt as if the world sensed something heavy stirring beneath the surface, something that would not be contained once released. At The Imperial Crest, tension clung to every corridor like an invisible fog. Staff whispered, security tightened, and every pair of eyes darted toward the upper floors where the real war was gathering strength.
John stood in the conference suite, reviewing the final draft of the audit report. The document exposed every hidden transaction tied to Lionwell Capital, every shell company the Benefactor had built, and every internal leak he had used to infiltrate The Crest. It was a declaration of war in the purest form, and once it went public, there would be no turning back.
Morgan entered with a stack of printed summaries. "Media teams are already waiting. Once you release this, the market will react instantly."
John nodded. "Let it react. The truth needs air."
Rita joined them shortly after, her posture sharp, her eyes clear. "Prosper has been moving through the building like he owns it. He tried to persuade the legal team to block the audit."
John closed the folder. "He cannot block what he cannot see coming."
Rita studied him carefully. "Are you ready for what happens after this?"
He answered without hesitation. "Yes."
Downstairs, Prosper Mercy paced the boardroom with restless energy. His shirt sleeves were folded, his jaw clenched. The board members exchanged wary glances as he slammed another stack of documents onto the table.
"He is going to tear the company apart," Prosper snapped. "Raymond is unstable. He has always been a sentimental fool. He thinks exposing this audit will save the company, but it will destroy everything."
Ms Patel replied calmly, "You speak as if you are afraid of the truth."
Prosper glared at her. "I am afraid of chaos. Investors will run, subsidiaries will detach, and competitors will exploit this weakness."
Mr Daugherty asked, "Is there something in this audit that concerns you personally, Prosper?"
Prosper's silence spoke louder than any confession. He straightened his jacket and walked out of the room before anyone could press further.
The moment the door shut, murmurs filled the room.
"Something is wrong," Ms Patel said. "He is too reactive."
Mr Daugherty nodded. "Prosper has been hiding something. I can feel it."
Upstairs, John, Rita, and Morgan stepped into the executive conference hall where media teams had gathered. Cameras flashed, microphones pointed forward, and a sea of journalists waited to capture every breath he took.
Morgan whispered, "This is it."
John stepped to the podium, the weight of his father's legacy resting heavily on his shoulders. For a moment, he let the room settle into silence.
Then he spoke.
"Today, I am releasing a full audit of The Crest Foundation. For decades, our foundation was trusted to serve communities and support the people who needed us most. However, I have discovered that this trust was violated."
He held up the report.
"Funds were diverted into shell companies controlled by a covert network known as the House of Shadows. These entities infiltrated The Crest, manipulated our subsidiaries, and used our resources to build their own empire."
The murmurs grew louder.
Rita and Morgan watched him with steady pride.
John continued, "This corruption began long before I inherited this company. My father, Harold Raymond, was never aware of it. He built The Crest to uplift, not to destroy. Today, I honour his legacy by exposing the truth."
Questions erupted from all corners, but John raised a hand.
"All evidence has been submitted to federal authorities. We will cooperate fully. The Crest will no longer be a pawn in someone else's shadowed game."
He stepped back from the podium as security moved in to guide him offstage. Cameras flashed wildly. The storm had been unleashed.
Prosper Mercy watched the broadcast from his office, fury burning in his eyes. Every word John spoke tightened the noose around the Benefactor's operation and, by extension, around his own neck.
He slammed his fist against the desk. "You reckless child. You think this makes you powerful?"
His phone buzzed. The screen showed no name, only a symbol. The House of Shadows.
He answered immediately.
The Benefactor's voice drifted through the speaker, calm and cold. "You have lost control."
Prosper swallowed hard. "Raymond is forcing our hand. The authorities will come after us."
"I told you long ago," the Benefactor replied, "that sentimentality ruins empires. You should have finished him in Hong Kong."
Prosper's voice shook. "You told me to wait. You told me he would destroy himself."
"And he will," the Benefactor said gently. "But first, you will take responsibility for your failure."
Prosper froze. "What does that mean?"
"Leave the building," the Benefactor instructed. "Now."
Prosper grabbed his coat, panic rising in his chest. He moved quickly, ignoring the greetings from staff, ignoring the confused looks. He reached the glass elevator and jabbed the button repeatedly.
Behind him, two unfamiliar men in black suits stepped into the corridor.
Prosper's hand trembled.
The elevator opened, and he stepped in.
He whispered, "Please… not like this."
Meanwhile, on the top floor, John returned to his office. The moment he closed the door, he exhaled deeply. The adrenaline washed away, leaving exhaustion.
Rita stepped in quietly. "You did well."
He sat on the edge of the desk. "We have only opened the first door. The real fight is behind it."
Morgan entered with a laptop in hand. "You need to see this. The audit triggered an automatic countermeasure from Lionwell's network."
John stood. "Show me."
Morgan pulled up a live feed. Lines of red alerts flashed on the screen.
Rita frowned. "What are we looking at?"
Morgan's voice was tight. "Lionwell Capital is erasing its servers. Every branch. Every backup."
John's jaw clenched. "They are covering their tracks."
Morgan scrolled further. "Not just that. Someone inside our own building is trying to reroute the Crest's encrypted vault access."
John's eyes narrowed. "Prosper."
Rita's voice dropped to a whisper. "Then he is acting under the Benefactor's orders."
John took a step back from the screen, something cold settling in his chest.
"Find him," he said. "Now."
Morgan nodded. "I will scan the building."
Rita placed a gentle hand on John's arm. "Whatever we find, we face it together."
He looked at her and nodded. "Always."
In the elevator, Prosper Mercy stared at his dim reflection in the glass. His heartbeat hammered in his ears. He knew the Benefactor's order was not a warning. It was a sentence.
The elevator descended past the fortieth floor.
The lights flickered.
Prosper whispered, "Please. Not yet."
The elevator shuddered.
Somewhere in the depths of the building, the Benefactor's men moved into position.
The descent continued.
Prosper's breath hitched.
Then the elevator came to a stop.
On the screen, a single message appeared.
"Goodbye, Mr Mercy."
Prosper began to scream.
Back upstairs, Morgan stared at his laptop. "John, I found him. The elevator just shut down between floors."
John's breath caught. "Shut down or overridden?"
Morgan hesitated.
"Overridden."
John's voice hardened. "Then the Benefactor is already here."
The room fell silent.
Outside, thunder broke across the sky.
The House of Shadows had begun its counterattack.
And the war for The Crest had entered a new, lethal phase.