Chapter 33
The Castellane Real Estate Group headquarters was nothing like the imposing Parston tower.
It was a modest five-story building in a gentrified neighbourhood on the north side.
Decorated with brick façade and large windows that had been updated but maintained the character of the original 1960s construction.
It spoke of a family business that had grown steadily over generations rather than the aggressive expansion and hostile takeovers that characterized the Parston empire.
Remy pulled his Audi into the underground parking garage at 11:23 PM, exactly seven minutes ahead of schedule.
The garage was nearly empty with just a few employee vehicles belonging to the small night security staff and a silver BMW that Remy recognized as belonging to Marcus Castellane himself.
As he stepped out of his car, his phone buzzed with a message from Nyx:
*Nyx*: Third floor. Conference room. We've got coffee, surveillance equipment, and enough processing power to run a small country.
Also, Lyra brought pastries because, apparently, we need snacks for our corporate espionage defence operation.
*Indigo*: She stress-bakes now. It's adorable.It also terrifying because I've gained three pounds.
*Lyra*: I do NOT stress-bake. I just enjoy the therapeutic process of creating something delicious while thinking about the destruction of our enemies.
It's completely different.
Remy smiled despite the tension, taking the elevator to the third floor.
The building's security system had been upgraded significantly since his investment, which was Nyx's work, naturally.
She'd spent two weeks redesigning everything from the ground up after identifying nineteen separate vulnerabilities that could have been exploited.
The elevator doors opened to reveal a scene that was somehow both tense and domestic.
The conference room had been converted into a makeshift command centre, with Nyx's multiple laptop setup dominating the large table.
Network diagrams and security protocols were displayed on the wall-mounted screens that normally showed real estate listings.
But beside all the high-tech equipment sat a plate of chocolate croissants, a coffee maker brewing something that smelled expensive.
And the three women Remy loved arranged around the table like generals planning a campaign.
Lyra stood when he entered, her yellow hair pulled back in a practical ponytail rather than her usual elaborate styling.
She wore jeans and a comfortable sweater.
"He said no, didn't he? Parston refused your offer."
"He said no," Remy confirmed, accepting the coffee cup Indigo handed him.
"His pride wouldn't let him back down. He sees surrendering to a twenty-year-old as worse than facing federal charges."
"Then he's an idiot," Indigo said bluntly.
She'd changed too, no makeup, her purple hair in a simple braid, wearing comfortable clothes that prioritized function over appearance.
The transformation from performance to authenticity was nearly complete.
"You offered him an exit strategy. A way to avoid prison. And he chose his ego instead."
"Men like Thomas Parston always do," Marcus Castellane said, emerging from the shadows near the window where he'd been watching the street below.
Lyra's father looked older than his fifty-six years tonight, the stress of the past months evident in new lines around his eyes.
But there was steel there too, the resolve of a man defending his family's legacy.
"They'd rather burn their kingdoms down than admit someone outsmarted them."
He extended his hand to Remy. "Thank you for the warning. For all of this.
My daughter tells me you've invested $20 million in our company and asked for far less equity than you deserved.
You're either the smartest investor I've ever met or the most foolish."
"Let's hope it's the first one," Remy said, shaking his hand. "How much have you told your security team?"
"Enough," Marcus replied. "They know we're expecting a cyber-attack tonight.
They know it's sophisticated and well-funded.
But they don't know that we have someone...." he nodded toward Nyx.
"....who's apparently better than any security expert I could afford to hire."
Nyx looked up from her laptops, a slight smile on her usually serious face.
"I had good teachers. And unlimited time to study once I stopped caring about my parents' approval.
Turns out when you're not grinding yourself into dust chasing perfect grades, you actually learn things deeper."
She gestured to one of her screens, which showed a complex network diagram that looked like something from a cybersecurity textbook.
"I've set up a honeypot, a fake vulnerability that looks like an easy entry point.
When they take the bait, they'll think they've breached our systems.
But actually, they'll be in a sandboxed environment where I can monitor everything they do, every tool they use, every command they execute.
Full documentation for the law enforcement."
"And the counter-intrusion?" Remy asked, settling into a chair next to her.
"Already prepared," Nyx said, pulling up another screen.
"The moment they establish their connection, I'll have a direct path back to their systems.
Not just the hired hackers in Bucharest, i'm going straight to the source.
The Parston company servers, their financial records, their communications.
Everything Thomas Parston thinks is safely encrypted and hidden behind expensive firewalls."
"That's illegal," Marcus observed, though his tone suggested he wasn't particularly concerned about the legality.
"Unauthorized access to computer systems. Federal crime."
"Only if I access it directly," Nyx replied with a smile that was far too innocent for what she was describing.
"But if they attack us first, and I simply follow the connection they established back to its source, well... that's just tracing the attack to its origin.
Which is not only legal but recommended by cybersecurity best practices.
Any evidence I happen to observe during that legitimate security investigation is admissible in court."
"She's terrifying," Indigo said with genuine admiration.
"I used to think I was manipulative. Nyx is operating on a completely different level."
"It's not manipulation when it's used for good," Nyx said, though she looked pleased by the compliment.
"It's strategic application of technical knowledge in service of justice."
"Call it what you want," Lyra said, moving to stand behind Nyx's chair, one hand resting protectively on her shoulder."
Just know that we appreciate it. All of us. You didn't have to help my family. You barely know us. But you're here anyway."
"We're all here anyway," Indigo corrected, gesturing around the room.
"Because that's what this is now. Not just four separate people or three girlfriends sharing a boyfriend.
We're actually becoming... something. A unit. A family, maybe?"
"A very weird family," Lyra added with a laugh. "But yes. A family."
Remy looked at the three of them, Lyra standing protectively behind Nyx, Indigo moving to the coffee maker to refresh everyone's cups, the easy way they'd started working together and supporting each other.
When he'd first imagined this unconventional relationship, he'd worried about jealousy, competition, and the destructive dynamics that seemed inevitable when asking three women to share.
But instead, they'd become friends. Allies. Sisters, in a way that had nothing to do with blood and everything to do with choice and shared experience.
"11:42 PM," Nyx announced, checking her system clock. "Five minutes. Everyone should get comfortable. This might take a while once it starts."
Marcus Castellane poured himself coffee and settled into a chair, his face grim but determined.
"In all my years in business, I've never fought a battle like this.
Real estate development is usually about permits and zoning and negotiating with contractors.
Not cyber warfare and federal investigations."
"Welcome to the new economy," Nyx said dryly.
"Where fortunes are made and lost with keystrokes, and the most dangerous weapons are lines of code."
"I prefer it when enemies you could see coming," Marcus said.
"When you knew who you were fighting and the battlefield had clear boundaries."
"That's why you need people like us now."
Remy said, his eyes beginning to glow faintly gold as he activated his Foresight, watching the next few minutes unfold.