[Ethan's POV]
"He burned it," Claire whispered, staring at the mountain of scorched currency. The heat still shimmered off the blackened bills, making the air above the container ripple like a mirage. "There has to be at least fifty million euros in this container alone. Just... gone." Her voice cracked on the last word, not from fear, but from the sheer waste of it. Money that could've bought a small army, reduced to ash and brittle paper.
"It's a siege tactic," I said, keeping my voice low as the shouts of the PMCs outside grew louder, bouncing off the steel walls of the warehouse like gunfire. My throat was dry, tasting of smoke and salt from the Black Sea air that seeped through every crack.
"Isabella is bleeding Vanguard and Aldridge Global dry in the boardrooms. Jake is cutting off her supply lines so she runs out of capital to keep up the attack." I paused, watching Claire's face. She wasn't listening to the strategy. She was listening to the fire.
