Back in his study, Arthur opened his laptop and booted up a heavily encrypted communication network he hadn’t touched in years. He typed Victoria Kline’s full name into the system, his eyes reflecting the glow of the screen. The gentle old grocery clerk had completely vanished.
Over the next three days, Arthur made a series of cryptic phone calls. His tone was authoritative, sharp, and dripping with an absolute command that would have left anyone at Market & Co. completely baffled. “Marcus,” Arthur said during his first call, his voice cold. “I need you to look at a company whose name I’ll be sending you now. Follow the standard protocols. Let me know if you find any discrepancies.”
A day later, he placed a second call to a woman named Evelyn. “Evelyn, it’s Arthur. I’m calling in that personal favor from five years ago…Let me know…” His contacts asked no questions; they simply complied with immense deference, executing his requests immediately.