Success had a way of attracting attention.
Not all of it visible.
Andres noticed it first in the smallest changes—delivery delays from unrelated vendors, unfamiliar faces lingering longer than necessary, subtle shifts in customer behavior.
Nothing direct.
Nothing obvious.
But deliberate.
"…He's adapting," Andres said quietly.
Kael leaned against the counter, arms crossed.
"The rival?"
"Yes."
"…So what's the move?"
Andres didn't answer immediately.
Because reacting blindly would be a mistake.
Instead, he closed his eyes briefly.
Mind's Eye activated.
Patterns formed.
Connections linked.
The disruptions weren't random—they targeted timing, not supply.
"…He's trying to destabilize consistency," Andres concluded.
Kael frowned.
"…Meaning?"
"He can't match quality," Andres said. "So he's attacking reliability."
A pause.
"…Smart."
Kael smirked slightly.
"Yeah, well… not smarter than you, right?"
Andres opened his eyes.
"…That depends on how we respond."
Because this wasn't about winning quickly.
It was about maintaining control.
"…We adjust schedules," Andres continued. "Diversify delivery windows. Reduce predictability."
Kael nodded.
"…So we make it harder to track."
"Yes."
A brief silence followed.
Then Kael added—
"…You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
Andres didn't respond.
But the truth was—
He wasn't just surviving anymore.
He was thinking ahead.
And that was far more dangerous.