The conference room at Jefferson Global's headquarters felt different that morning. The polished glass walls still gleamed under the Valemir sun, and the board members still wore suits so crisp they could cut air—but something had changed.
At the head of the table, Elsa Jefferson sat with a fire in her eyes that didn't come from caffeine or ambition. It came from revelation.
Kip Mandari entered last, as always. He offered his usual charming nods, a flash of his signature smirk, and even a low chuckle at an inside joke no one remembered telling. But this time, the room didn't echo with relaxed laughter. The air was too thick.
Elsa let him settle into his leather chair before she spoke.
"We'll start this meeting with some disclosures," she said calmly, tapping her fingers against a thick folder. "Some of you may find what's inside... illuminating."
Kip's smile flickered, just for a second.
"Disclosures?" one of the older board members asked. "Elsa, what's this about?"
She pushed the folder toward the center of the table and opened it. Dozens of printed emails, wire transfers, audio transcripts. All laced together by one name repeated too many times to ignore:
Kip Mandari.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Elsa stood up, her voice still even but commanding. "For months now, Kip has been quietly siphoning resources from Jefferson Global. He used shell companies to funnel funds, diverted logistics contracts, and installed two mid-level executives loyal only to him."
Kip chuckled under his breath. "Are we really doing this, Elsa?"
"Oh, we're far past doing this," she replied, eyes like steel. "We're unraveling you."
Another board member flipped through the documents, eyebrows rising. "Is this real?"
Elsa nodded. "Cross-verified by Aeris Holdings' private audit team. With evidence backed by both Jefferson Global's internal forensics and an independent investigator."
At the mention of Aeris Holdings, Kip's mask slipped again. He leaned forward slightly.
"Chess Golding?" he asked, his tone laced with contempt.
Elsa tilted her head. "Yes. The same man you tried to discredit last quarter. The one you underestimated."
Kip's jaw flexed.
She stepped around the table until she stood directly behind him. "You thought I was naïve. That I'd never see it. That I'd keep dancing while you pulled strings behind the curtain."
His voice dropped to a whisper, venomous. "You still don't know what I'm truly capable of."
Elsa leaned in, her whisper colder. "And you still don't realize who you picked a fight with."
She straightened and turned to the rest of the board. "Effective immediately, Kip Mandari is suspended pending investigation. Security will escort him out."
The doors opened.
Two plainclothes security officers entered.
Kip rose slowly, still wearing that slippery smile—but it didn't reach his eyes.
"You think this is over?" he said, voice low. "This is just Act One."
"No," Elsa said, facing him fully now. "This is your curtain call."
He walked out without another word.
As the doors shut behind him, Elsa finally exhaled.
The room erupted in murmurs and questions, but she held up a hand. "We stabilize operations first. Then, we talk legacy. Mine—not his."
And that was the end of Kip Mandari... at least, in the room.
Elsewhere — Aeris Holdings, Valemir
Chess leaned against the railing of Aeris Holdings' rooftop lounge. The city sprawled below him in a web of light and life, but he was focused on the horizon.
He didn't flinch when Elsa's voice sounded behind him.
"You were right."
He turned, a smile ghosting his lips. "That's rare. Mark the date."
She joined him at the railing, arms folded. "You warned me Kip was more than he seemed."
"I didn't expect him to move so soon," Chess said, eyes narrowing. "But it's done. You did well."
"I learned from the best," she replied, glancing sideways at him.
He chuckled. "Careful. That almost sounded like affection."
She bumped her shoulder against his. "It was."
Silence passed between them—but it was warm this time. Filled with the quiet triumph of two people who had stood back-to-back and won.
Elsa turned to him, a question in her eyes. "So what's next?"
Chess looked back to the skyline. "Whatever's stirring behind Kip... we'll face it. But first..."
He turned toward her, his expression unguarded for once.
"I'd like to take you somewhere."
"Where?" she asked, amused.
He grinned. "Somewhere without boardrooms, conspiracies, or betrayal. Just us."
Her eyes softened. "You're serious?"
"Deadly," he said. "I've had enough war for one day."
She nodded, slipping her hand into his.
And as the two of them stood there—no longer chess pieces, but players moving together—Valemir glowed beneath them.
But somewhere in the shadows, the game was already resetting.
And new eyes were watching.