Three days after the attack, Valenridge woke up to a different kind of crisis.
Not bullets.
Not bombs.
Money.
The first signs appeared shortly after the stock market opened.
Major financial networks began reporting unusual sell-offs.
Large investors suddenly dumped shares from several of Valenridge's biggest companies.
Within hours, panic spread.
Television analysts spoke over one another.
"Markets are reacting to political instability."
"Investors are losing confidence."
"Election uncertainty is affecting business confidence."
The headlines became worse every hour.
By noon, the national index had fallen nearly seven percent.
Citizens started worrying immediately.
People remembered previous financial crashes.
Businesses became nervous.
Banks received thousands of calls.
And somewhere inside a luxurious office overlooking the city, Magnus Volkov watched everything unfold with quiet satisfaction.
A financial advisor stood nearby.
