The sprawling Mediterranean mansion was usually a sanctuary of calm and control, a symbol of the Black Hand's dominance over the world.
But tonight, the conference room within its hidden depths was thick with tension and panic.
Some members of the Dark Council, the highest echelon of the Black Hand, were gathered and seated around the long obsidian table, their faces ashen and tight with anger.
Multiple screens displayed the ongoing chaos. Global protests had grown larger and more volatile. Headlines scrolled across news channels:
"The Black Hand Exposed: Evidence of Global Conspiracy Emerges."
"Silicon Valley Under Fire: G00gle, Arpple, and Microsuft Implicated."
"Leaked Documents Tie World Leaders to the Black Hand."
Even world leaders—the President of the United States, the British Prime Minister, and the Chinese Premier—were now being questioned about their alleged involvement.
