The Executive Atrium did not calm after Cavanaugh was dragged out. If anything, the tension sharpened until the entire hall felt like a living cage ready to snap. Executives huddled in frantic whispers. Assistants rushed back and forth. Security officers exchanged stiff looks, confused and uneasy.
The Crest was awakening, and the building did not like what it saw.
John stood at the centre of it all, the Benefactor still lying on the floor like a fallen demon. Rita watched the room closely, every muscle ready for trouble. Morgan hugged his damaged equipment case as if he expected someone to snatch it away.
Then the room erupted.
Three executives stepped forward at once.
Five more gathered behind them.
Others parted like water, not sure if they should retreat or align.
The first to speak was Naomi Clarke, Chief Communications Officer. A tall woman with sharp eyes and a reputation for striking hard under pressure. She approached with careful steps, her voice steady but cold.
"John, the board requires clarity," she said. "An incident occurred tonight. Director Cavanaugh claimed you were confirmed dead."
John did not look away. "And yet I am standing here."
Naomi's eyes drifted to the Benefactor. "And you brought this… man into our headquarters without notice. That is a direct violation of emergency protocol."
Rita moved forward. "He is responsible for an attack on the city. He is responsible for the Sanctuary bombings. He is responsible for the Raynet breach. If John had not brought him, you would all be dead in a week."
An uncomfortable silence spread.
Then another voice cut through it.
Leonard Fraser, Deputy Chief of Finance.
"Even if what you say is true," Leonard said, adjusting his expensive suit, "John should have reported it through the standard chain of command. Tonight's actions could destabilise the company."
Morgan forced out a laugh. "Destabilise the company. You mean more destabilised than Cavanaugh holding a coronation ceremony."
Several executives shifted awkwardly.
Leonard's jaw tightened. "This company runs on structure."
John stepped forward. "This company runs on truth. And the truth is that someone inside this building worked with the Benefactor. Someone tried to eliminate me from the board before the smoke even cleared."
A ripple of panic travelled through the crowd.
One of the executives shouted, "We had no choice. Cavanaugh said he had proof you were dead."
John glared at him. "And you believed him without a body."
Another director stepped forward, nerves shaking her voice. "We were told there were witnesses. That you were inside the Sanctuary when it collapsed."
Morgan pointed at the Benefactor. "Do witnesses usually come out like this?"
Naomi folded her arms. "If someone in this building fed Cavanaugh false information, we need to know."
Rita's eyes sharpened. "The question is not who fed Cavanaugh. The question is who was waiting for the moment to move."
A third voice rose from the far left of the room.
Smooth. Calm. Calculated.
"Enough."
Every head turned.
Cassandra Ward stepped out of the shadows.
Chief Intelligence Officer.
The quietest.
The most dangerous.
The one who had survived three leadership purges without ever raising her voice.
Her gaze moved over the crowd, then landed on John.
"John Raymond," she said, her expression unreadable. "The board owes you an explanation. And you owe the board the truth."
John did not bow or blink. "Then let us start with this. Who approved Cavanaugh's access to the succession protocols?"
Cassandra clasped her hands behind her back. "He did not need approval. As Director of Operations, he had provisional access."
Rita frowned. "But he did not have the authority to activate it."
Cassandra nodded. "Correct. Which is why we are all concerned. Someone inside the building gave him the final key."
The entire crowd shifted as if pushed by a single fear.
Morgan whispered, "There really is a traitor."
John already knew.
The Crest had always been a labyrinth. A palace built on secrets. Harold Raymond had tamed the wolves by giving them purpose. After he died, the wolves waited.
Now they were hungry.
John took a step toward the room. "Whoever supported Cavanaugh will be found. Whoever collaborated with the Benefactor will be exposed. And whoever believes they can challenge me will be corrected."
Leonard Fraser scoffed. "That sounds like a threat."
John turned toward him, eyes cold and steady. "It is a promise."
Leonard fell silent.
Cassandra stepped closer. "John, whatever war happened in that Sanctuary has followed you here. This building is divided. People are choosing sides. And your return has made everything unstable."
John looked around at the gathered faces. Some fearful. Some calculating. Some already plotting.
"Then let them choose," he said. "Loyalty now or consequences later."
Naomi exhaled sharply. "We cannot have this confrontation in the open. The Crest's reputation cannot withstand another scandal."
John nodded slightly. "Then we start internally."
He pointed to the security officers.
"Secure the Benefactor—floor thirteen. Maximum lockdown. No communication. No access without my direct approval."
The officers moved immediately, lifting the unconscious man and carrying him away. Several executives stepped back as he passed, as if afraid he would wake and speak their secrets aloud.
John then turned to the room. "Next. Every department head will undergo a full internal audit. I will personally review all communications from the last forty-eight hours."
Rita added, "We will also investigate financial movements. Personal accounts. Hidden correspondence. Anyone who blinked in the wrong direction will be flagged."
Executives scattered in uneasy whispers.
Morgan stepped up beside John. "The data from the Sanctuary will confirm connections. I will cross-reference everything."
Cassandra studied John quietly. "You just declared war on half your board."
John met her gaze. "Then half the board should start worrying."
For the first time, Cassandra smiled slightly. "Good. You are finally behaving like your father."
John stiffened.
Rita replaced the words before they could sting. "He behaves like himself."
Cassandra nodded with respect. "Then you had better be ready. Because Cavanaugh is only the first. The Benefactor had disciples. And some of them are smarter than him."
John glanced around the trembling room.
"Let them come."
The doors opened as if on cue. A rush of new security personnel arrived, alerted by the shift in authority. They stood to attention, awaiting orders.
John looked at the board one final time.
"This company will not fall to the shadows," he said. "Not while I am here."
No one dared challenge him.
He turned away and walked out of the Atrium.
Rita and Morgan followed.
Behind them, The Crest began to tremble.
Not from danger.
But from fear.
The heir had returned.
And the house would never be the same.