Charles Calloway chose Washington.
Allison chose the room.
That distinction mattered.
By eight the next morning, every major news network in the country was running some version of the same story.
SECRET FINANCIAL NETWORK LINKED TO GLOBAL CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION
CALLOWAY PATRIARCH BELIEVED DEAD MAY BE ALIVE
INTERNATIONAL AUTHORITIES INVESTIGATE CONSORTIUM DOCUMENTS
FROZEN ACCOUNTS SPREAD ACROSS EUROPE AND ASIA
CALLS FOR CONGRESSIONAL INQUIRY AFTER SURVEILLANCE FILES LEAK
Charles's empire wasn't dead.
But it was bleeding.
Publicly.
And for a man who had spent decades controlling information, public blood was apparently intolerable.
At 6:12 a.m., Harold received the request.
At 6:18, Charles offered coordinates.
At 6:19, Allison rejected them.
At 6:23, Charles offered another location.
Allison rejected that too.
At 6:31, Harold called her.
"He wants to know what you're doing."
Allison stood barefoot in Lucian's kitchen eating strawberries.
She smiled.
