Chapter 11 - THE NEW ARCHITECT
Six months later.
The sun beat down on the floor-to-ceiling windows of the corner office on the 80th floor of the Genesis Tower. The view of the Seattle skyline was breathtaking, completely unobstructed.
Marcus Reed stood by the glass, wearing a perfectly tailored navy suit that cost more than his old car. He held a cup of espresso in his hand—made from a machine he had personally ensured had no explosive smart-grid vulnerabilities.
Behind him, sitting at a massive glass desk, Julian Sterling was reviewing a digital contract. His arm was fully healed, leaving only a small scar. The company had transitioned flawlessly to the Geneva consortium, but Julian had remained as the Chairman of the Board, with Marcus firmly entrenched as his right hand.
David Vance was currently serving a life sentence in federal prison without the possibility of parole. His shadow network had been entirely dismantled by Marcus's new security team.
The intercom on Marcus's desk buzzed. "Mr. Reed," his executive assistant's voice chimed. "The new Level 1 IT recruits are downstairs in the server room. They are waiting for your introductory briefing."
Marcus smiled, placing his espresso cup down. He picked up his tablet—not the battered one from that day, but a brand-new, military-grade rig he had built himself from scratch.
"I'll be right down," Marcus replied.
He turned to look at Julian. "Duty calls. Gotta make sure the new kids know how to spot a zero-day."
"Give them hell, Marcus," Julian said, not looking up from his screen, though a proud smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "And make sure they know how to fix a damn prompter screen."
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Marcus laughed, walking out of the office. He stepped into the private executive elevator. The brass doors slid shut smoothly, silently. No error codes. No glitches.
The system was secure. And Marcus Reed was exactly where he belonged.
