Jay's POV
The drive back through London was quiet. The others didn't speak much - I didn't know why but somehow the onyx seemed familiar
"So," Drake finally said, breaking the silence. "That was Onyx — the big name from the Philippines. What did you think?"
I looked out the window for a few seconds before answering. "He's smart," I said. "Doesn't talk too much, doesn't show too much. That's the kind of leader you either work with, or you destroy. Nothing in between."
Brooke nodded from the front seat. "He looked like trouble."
"The good kind," Mia added. Her tone was teasing, but she kept her eyes on the road.
I just smiled under the mask. "We don't need trouble. We need allies that don't flinch."
For a long moment, the car fell quiet again, the city lights flashing across our faces. I thought back to the handshake — the cold control in his grip, the silence that said more than words ever could.
"If he agrees to the alliance," Andrew said, "we'll have full connection across Asia."
"He will," I replied calmly. "Onyx may play careful, but he knows power when he sees it."
"You trust him?" Mia asked.
"I don't trust anyone," I said, resting my head back. "But I respect him. Sometimes that's enough."
The car rolled to a stop in front of our safehouse. I stepped out, the door shutting softly behind me. The rain had started again, light and steady against the pavement.
"London isn't changing for anyone," Drake said as he fell into step beside me.
"No," I said quietly. "It's not. That's why I became the one who makes it move."
My team followed me inside, no questions, no doubts — and that was enough. The night closed behind us like a curtain, and I felt nothing but forward motion