The quiet of the war room felt heavier than usual as the Nexus Freight deal inched closer to completion. Ethan sat at the glass table, watching the holographic display as Jessica updated him on the final stages of the acquisition. The web of connections on the screen illuminated a network of accounts, shell corporations, and transactional flows—each line representing weeks of careful maneuvering.
"Nexus's board has accepted the bid," Jessica announced, her voice calm but tinged with exhaustion. "They're in the process of filing the paperwork now. By tomorrow, we'll hold 49% of their shares."
Ethan gave a small nod. "And Borealis?"
Jessica swiped through her tablet. "They haven't moved yet, but it's only a matter of time before they realize their primary logistics partner is compromised. When they do, they'll have to pivot to their backup supplier."
"Which we've already blocked," Ethan said, his tone coldly methodical.
"Exactly."
