Aiden spent the next three days locked in his most secure room—a converted closet that Jade had debugged and insulated from electronic surveillance. The USB drive contained hundreds of files, and each one painted a more disturbing picture.
The Society wasn't just a collection of wealthy families protecting their interests. It was organized, methodical, and had been operating for over a century.
The files showed:
Fourteen "anomalous success cases" in the past fifty years, all meeting sudden, convenient endsA network of fixers, investigators, and "problem solvers" on retainerMedia contacts who could plant stories or kill themLegal teams specializing in destroying reputationsAnd in extreme cases, specialists who made problems "disappear"
Malcolm Zhang appeared in files dating back five years. He'd joined The Society after his own rapid rise threatened established tech families, then proven his loyalty by eliminating two competitors.
But it was the current files that made Aiden's blood run cold.
Subject: AIDEN SCHOLS Status: WATCH LIST (ELEVATED) Threat Level: 7/10 Recommendation: MONITOR. CONTAIN IF ESCALATES.
The file contained everything—his relationship with Sophia, Isabella, Victoria. His investment strategies. Even speculation about "possible insider trading" and "unexplained analytical capabilities."
Someone had been building a dossier, waiting for the right moment to strike.
A soft knock interrupted his reading. Maya's voice through the door: "It's me. Jade is here."
He let them in. Jade immediately pulled out a scanner, checking for new bugs.
"Clean. Good." She dropped into a chair, looking exhausted. "I've been tracking The Society's communications. They're meeting tomorrow—emergency session. You're on the agenda."
"What are they planning?"
"Not sure yet. Their main communications are analog—in-person meetings, paper records. Very old school." She pulled up a laptop screen. "But I did find this."
It was an email chain between Malcolm Zhang and someone identified only as "The Chairman." The latest message read:
"The Schols situation requires intervention. His visibility makes traditional solutions risky, but his relationships provide alternative pressure points. Recommend targeting associates first. The Italian doctor's visa status. The hacker's criminal record. The professor's tenure review. Apply pressure indirectly."
Maya's jaw clenched. "They're coming after everyone around you."
"Isabella's visa is fine—"
"Is it?" Jade was already typing. "Give me a minute."
Her fingers flew across the keyboard, infiltrating immigration databases with disturbing ease. Her expression darkened.
"Someone filed an anonymous complaint three days ago alleging visa fraud. It's flagged for review. If they push it, Isabella could be deported within weeks."
Aiden felt rage building. "They're going after her because of me."
"They're going after everyone," Maya corrected. "It's how they operate. They can't attack you directly—too visible now. So they isolate you. Destroy your support system. Make you vulnerable."
"What about you?" Aiden asked Jade. "The email mentioned a criminal record."
She shrugged, but he saw the tension. "I was arrested at nineteen for hacking a pharmaceutical company that was price-gouging AIDS medication. Charges were dropped, but the record exists. They could resurrect it, paint me as a criminal associate of yours."
"And Victoria?"
"Tenure review is in two months," Maya added. "Anonymous complaints about her relationship with a student—you—could tank it. Doesn't matter that you're not actually her student anymore. The optics would destroy her."
Aiden stood, pacing the small room. "So they've found everyone I care about and planned how to hurt them. What's our move?"
"We go defensive," Maya suggested. "Shore up protection for everyone. Get Isabella an immigration lawyer. Help Jade scrub her records. Warn Victoria."
"No," Jade interrupted. "We go offensive. They're expecting you to turtle up, get scared. Instead, we hit back."
"How?"
She smiled dangerously. "I've got dirt on three Society members. Insider trading, tax evasion, campaign finance violations. We leak it strategically, let them know we can fight dirty too."
"That's escalation," Maya warned.
"It's survival," Jade countered. "They won't stop. The only question is whether we fight back or wait to be picked apart."
Aiden thought about Isabella, innocent in all this. About Sophia trying to navigate her feelings. About Victoria risking her career. About Maya and Jade putting themselves in danger for him.
The system had given him power, but it had painted targets on everyone he loved.
His phone buzzed—a text from an unknown number:
"We can end this peacefully. Walk away from your investments. Dismantle Schols Ventures. Disappear quietly. You'll keep your wealth, your life. But stay in the game, and there are no guarantees. You have 48 hours to decide. —The Chairman"
Maya and Jade read it over his shoulder.
"It's a trap," Maya said. "Even if you comply, they'll still come after you eventually."
"Agreed," Jade added. "Retreat now and you're showing weakness. They'll never leave you alone."
Aiden looked at the message, then at the files spread around the room. At the faces of people who'd been destroyed for daring to succeed outside approved channels.
Something hardened inside him.
"We fight," he said quietly. "But smart. We protect everyone first, then we expose them. Jade, start preparing those leaks. Maya, I want security upgraded for everyone in my circle. And get me everything we need to make Isabella's visa bulletproof."
"And you?" Maya asked.
"I'm going to accept the Chairman's invitation to talk. But on my terms, not his."
Jade's eyes gleamed. "Now you're thinking like a survivor."
The war had been declared. Aiden hadn't asked for it, but he'd learned something in these months with the system: when you disrupt the established order, the order disrupts back.
Time to see who'd still be standing when the dust settled.