BXBX NOVEL Chapter 153: The Web Tightens
Thor rose as she entered, his broad frame casting an imposing shadow. "Captain Helena," he greeted, his voice a deep rumble. "What brings the peacekeepers to my door?"
Helena offered a tight smile, her eyes cold. "Good evening, Thor Odinson. I believe we have some important matters to discuss."
He motioned for her to sit, and she did so with the grace of a predator settling into a waiting position. Thor remained standing, his eyes wary. "Important matters? This sounds ominous."
If only he knew.
Helena\'s smile didn\'t waver as she stared at him. "Let\'s not waste time, Thor. You\'ll want to be seated for this."
The vampire eyed her suspiciously before reluctantly taking a seat.
"Good." Helena nodded. "I\'m here about a violation of the Turning Law."
Thor\'s eyes narrowed, a flicker of unease crossing his features. "The Turning Law? I\'m not aware of any violations within my coven."
Helena reached into her bag and pulled out a thick file, placing it on the desk with a decisive thud. She motioned to it as she spoke.
"This file contains evidence that one of your coven members was turned without proper documentation. The application for the turning was submitted after the fact, which, as you know, is a serious breach of our regulations."
Thor\'s expression hardened. "You came all this way to discuss paperwork?"
Helena leaned forward, her gaze piercing.
"This isn\'t just about paperwork. It\'s about the law. The consequences of such a violation are severe. I could arrest you on these charges, Thor. It would destroy you and much of what you own." She paused. "Legally."
She watched as the realization dawned on him, the weight of her words sinking in. He grabbed the file and checked it.
Pictures, documents and even worse, witness statements obtained from other vampires. The picture being painted wasn\'t pretty. NovelFire-original
Thor\'s confidence wavered, his eyes flickering with a mix of anger and fear. "What do you want, Helena?"
"Simple." Helena\'s smile widened, her eyes gleaming with her ambition. "I want you to sell your shares in Ascendant Capital to me and leave First City."
Thor\'s fists clenched, his jaw tightening. "You want me to sell my stake in one of the most lucrative ventures in the city and just walk away?"
"Precisely." Helena said, her tone as sharp as a blade. "If you comply, I\'ll make sure this... indiscretion remains buried. Refuse, and I will ensure that I use every piece of evidence to tear you down."
She leaned towards him, lowering her voice. "You know the consequences, Thor. You\'ll be facing a long stint in the dark cells of the ark and stripped of everything you own. Which, do you think, is the better deal?"
Thor stared at her, his mind racing. He knew she held all the cards. The Turning Law was clear, and the evidence she presented was damning. He could fight, but it would be a losing battle.
"Very well," he said through gritted teeth. "I\'ll sell you my shares and leave the city. But mark my words, Helena, this isn\'t over."
Helena rose, her smile victorious. "It\'s over when I say it\'s over, Thor. Have the paperwork ready by tomorrow."
As she turned to leave, she felt a surge of satisfaction. Her plan was falling into place.
With Thor\'s shares in Ascendant Capital under her control and the Odinson coven out of the way, her influence and power were growing.
She would not be satisfied with mere alliances. She aimed for dominance, and nothing less.
Leaving the office, Helena\'s mind was already on the next step. She had used the law to her advantage, bending it to fit her needs.
It was a dangerous game, but she was a master player. And she was far from finished. The Griffin county will become hers.
**********
Ezra sat in his office, the quiet hum of the city filtering through the large windows behind him.
His desk was cluttered with papers and reports, but his mind was elsewhere, tangled in the complexities of their current situation. Griffin on one side and Helena on the other.
Then, there\'s X whose side he had no idea of and the Arbiter who was helping him for reasons of her own.
The intercom buzzed, breaking his reverie. "Mr. Matten," came the voice of his assistant, Ava. "There\'s a matter that requires your immediate attention. It\'s about a recent acquisition of our shares."
Ezra\'s stomach tightened. "Send it through," he replied, bracing himself.
A moment later, an email appeared on his screen, the subject line reading: "Urgent: Ascendant Capital welcomes a new majority shareholder. Helena Manolis."
He clicked it open, his eyes scanning the document quickly. With each line he read, his blood began to boil.
He should have expected this. Helena had maneuvered her way into acquiring a significant stake in Ascendant Capital through the forced sale of Thor\'s shares.
Ezra pushed back from his desk, his chair scraping against the floor. "Damn her," he muttered under his breath, slamming a fist onto the wooden surface. The impact rattled the items on his desk, a physical manifestation of his growing fury.
He stood up and began pacing the room, his mind racing.
"She played me," he muttered to himself, his anger simmering just below the surface. "She\'s wormed her way deeper into my domain. At this point, she\'s no different from Griffin."
At that moment, Olivia\'s astral projection floated into the office. "Ezra, what\'s going on?" she asked, her concern evident in her voice.
Ezra turned to her, his eyes flashing with anger. "Helena. She\'s now a shareholder in Ascendant Capital. She forced Odinson to sell his shares to her, leveraging his violation of the Turning Law."
Olivia\'s eyes widened in shock. "What? How did this happen?"
"She mentioned that she had dirt on him." Ezra spat, his frustration evident. "Used the law to her advantage and squeezed him out. Now she\'s got a foothold in Ascendant."
"Shit." Olivia\'s expression hardened. "This wasn\'t what we expected. This changes everything."
Ezra nodded, his jaw set and his mind made. "She\'s just as dangerous as Griffin. We need to treat her the same way. Cordial on the surface, but always prepared for betrayal."
They stood in silence for a moment, the gravity of the situation settling in. Ezra\'s mind churned with strategies and countermeasures.
He had to find a way to protect his interests and keep Helena from gaining any more power before he could strike at her.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm within him. They had made a deal with the devil and the only way out, was to become one too.