Chapter 229
Chapter 229:
Herod moved to the small table where his laptop sat. He closed it deliberately. “When I first approached you about working together, I wanted to acquire Kane Industries, to make Victoria pay for destroying my family’s company. But this…”
“This is exactly what we’ve been working toward all along!” Rose slammed her bottle on the table, liquid sloshing over the sides. “Don’t pretend you’re shocked now. Don’t act like you haven’t thought about it too.”
“There’s a difference between thinking and doing,” Herod said quietly.
“Is there?” Rose’s voice softened dangerously. “When Victoria destroyed your family’s company, when your brother killed himself, didn’t you imagine making her suffer? Physically suffer?”
Herod turned away, unable to deny it. In his darkest moments after his brother’s suicide, he had imagined Victoria Kane suffering, even dying. But fantasy was different from reality.
“The Grid is operational now,” he said instead. “Security will be even tighter.”
“But they think they’ve won.” Rose moved closer again, her body pressing against his back, her voice a caress against his ear. “They think we’ve been neutralized. They won’t expect a physical attack now.”
Her hands slid around his waist. “Think about it, Herod. The Phoenix Grid’s grand launch, celebrated worldwide. And then, just days later, its spectacular failure. Camille’s moment of triumph turned to public humiliation.”
Her words painted a picture he couldn’t help but find appealing. Victoria’s pride crushed. Camille’s reputation destroyed. His brother finally avenged.
“How would we even do it?” he asked, already hating himself for considering it. Rose’s smile widened. She moved to her bag, pulling out papers—diagrams of Grid infrastructure, security rotations, access points.
“You’ve been planning this all along,” Herod realized.
“I’ve been considering all options,” Rose corrected, spreading the papers on the bed. “The main control hub has the weakest physical security. Attack there, and the entire Grid fails.”
“People could be hurt,” Herod pointed out.
The magic happens on gⱯlnσν𝓮ℓs․ç𝗈𝗺
Rose didn’t even blink. “Casualties are inevitable in war.”
“This isn’t war.”
“Isn’t it?” Her eyes flashed. “You came to me because Victoria Kane destroyed your family. I joined you because Camille stole my life. They declared war first.” She pressed against him again, her body warm and familiar. “We’ve tried it your way, Herod. The careful, calculated approach. And we’ve failed every time.” Her lips brushed his ear. “Now we try it my way.”
Herod felt himself weakening. The humiliation of today’s failure burned inside him. The thought of Camille and Victoria celebrating their victory while he and Rose hid in this pathetic motel made his blood boil.
“When?” he asked, already knowing he would regret this.
“Tomorrow night,” Rose replied, triumph in her voice. “While they’re still congratulating themselves. While their guard is down.”
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