The numbers kept falling.
Helena stared at the screen, her heartbeat syncing with every sharp drop in value. Red. Everything was red.
Around them, the lobby began to shift.
At first, it was subtle—whispers, uneasy glances, the quiet tapping of phones as employees checked the same horrifying data Marcus was seeing.
Then it broke.
Voices rose.
Confusion spread like wildfire.
"What's happening?""The stock—why is it crashing?""Is this real?"
Panic.
Raw and uncontrollable.
Helena felt it pressing in from all sides—but Marcus didn't move.
He stood perfectly still.
Watching.
Calculating.
Adrian, on the other hand, looked almost relaxed. Like a man observing something inevitable.
"This is just the beginning," Adrian said lightly.
Marcus finally lifted his gaze from his phone.
And when he did—Something had changed.
The anger was still there.
But now… it was sharpened. Focused.
Controlled.
"You're not taking my company," Marcus said.
His voice wasn't loud.
But it cut through the noise like a blade.
Adrian smiled faintly. "I already am."
Marcus stepped forward.
"No," he replied calmly. "You're making noise."
A pause.
Then—
"And I'm about to silence it."
Helena's breath caught slightly.
That confidence—It wasn't empty.
Marcus turned sharply toward the nearest group of executives, his presence instantly commanding their attention.
"Everyone back to your stations," he ordered. "Now."
There was no hesitation this time.
No questioning.
They moved.
Fast.
Because whatever was happening—Marcus still held authority.
And they felt it.
Helena watched him, something tightening in her chest.
This was his world.
And he wasn't going to let it collapse.
Marcus turned to another employee. "Get me the finance team. Emergency meeting—five minutes."
"Yes, sir."
Another. "Lock down external communications. No statements go out without my approval."
"Understood."
The chaos didn't disappear—But it shifted.
From panic…
To control.
Helena exhaled slowly.
He was fighting back.
Already.
Adrian watched it all with quiet interest.
"Impressive," he said. "You always were good under pressure."
Marcus didn't look at him.
"I learned from the best," he replied coldly.
A flicker of something crossed Adrian's expression—approval, almost.
Then it was gone.
Helena stepped closer to Marcus, lowering her voice.
"This isn't random," she said. "It's coordinated, like you said. He's targeting your investors."
Marcus nodded slightly. "He's triggering panic selling."
Her brow furrowed. "Can you stop it?"
A beat.
"Yes."
Her heart skipped.
"How?"
Marcus's gaze darkened.
"By hitting him back."
Before she could ask what that meant, his phone rang.
He answered instantly.
"Talk."
A voice on the other end—urgent, fast.
Marcus listened, his expression growing colder with every second.
Then—
"Do it," he said.
He hung up.
Helena looked at him. "What did you just do?"
Marcus turned to her slightly.
"I just reminded the market who they're dealing with."
Adrian's eyes narrowed—just slightly.
The first crack.
"What did you do?" Adrian asked.
Marcus finally looked at him.
And this time—There was something dangerous in his expression.
"Check your assets," he said.
The silence that followed was sharp.
Adrian's hand moved slowly, pulling out his phone.
For the first time—Helena saw it.
Tension.
Not fear.
But awareness.
He looked at the screen.
And his smile… faded.
Just a little.
Helena's pulse spiked.
"What is it?" she whispered.
Marcus didn't look away from Adrian.
"He overextended," Marcus said calmly. "To crash my stock that fast, he had to expose his own positions."
Realization hit instantly.
"And you—"
"Found them," Marcus finished.
Adrian's jaw tightened slightly.
"You're fast," he admitted.
"And you're sloppy," Marcus replied.
The shift in power was immediate.
Subtle.
But undeniable.
Helena felt it like a current in the air.
This wasn't one-sided anymore.
This was a fight.
Adrian slipped his phone back into his pocket, his expression smoothing out again—but the ease was gone.
"You think this changes anything?" he asked.
Marcus stepped closer.
"It changes everything."
A beat.
Then—
"Because now," Marcus added quietly, "I know where to hit you."
Silence fell between them.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Helena's heart pounded.
This was escalating faster than she expected.
And it wasn't going to stop.
Adrian let out a slow breath, then smiled again—but this time, it didn't reach his eyes.
"Good," he said softly.
"I was starting to think you'd gotten weak."
Marcus didn't react.
But Helena saw his hand move slightly—instinctively—closer to hers.
Not touching.
But close enough.
Grounding.
Protective.
Adrian noticed it too.
His gaze flicked between them briefly.
And something dark settled in his expression.
"Be careful, Marcus," he said. "Attachments make people vulnerable."
Helena stiffened.
Marcus didn't hesitate.
"She's not a weakness."
The words were immediate.
Certain.
Helena's breath caught.
Adrian studied them for a long moment.
Then—
"We'll see," he said quietly.
He turned.
Just like that.
And began to walk away.
No one stopped him.
No one dared to.
Helena watched him go, unease settling deep in her chest.
"This isn't over," she said softly.
Marcus's gaze remained fixed on Adrian's retreating figure.
"No," he agreed.
His voice dropped—low, dangerous.
"It's just begun."