"Then it's time we stopped pulling punches."
Dominic's gaze stayed fixed on the glowing web of red light—his jaw set, his voice low.
"If they're bold enough to orchestrate something like this—coordinated strikes, precision bidding, masked capital—then a direct confrontation is the next logical step."
He stepped closer to the map, one hand hovering above the cluster of red nodes as if weighing the entire network in his palm.
"They want us to react. They want us to bleed resources in every direction, until we're stretched thin enough to break."
Adeline's tone didn't waver. "So we confront them?"
"Yes," Dominic said. "But not the way they expect."
He turned, his expression unreadable.
"We answer with pressure—measured, relentless—but we don't show our full hand. Not yet."
Adeline inclined her head slightly, acknowledging the tactic, but her eyes remained sharp. Calculating.
Dominic studied her for a beat longer, then his tone shifted—lower, more personal.
