Arthur Sterling did not build his estate on the coast of Maine to be near the sea; he built it to dominate it. The Sterling Manor was a sprawling fortress of glass, steel, and dark, polished mahogany, perched precariously on a jagged cliffside. Its centerpiece, however, was not the art gallery or the high-tech observatory; it was the Grand Aquarium—a multi-story, cylindrical marvel of reinforced glass that spanned three floors of the mansion. It was a private ocean, filled with sharks, rays, and bioluminescent creatures that cost more than most people earned in a decade.

The morning sun broke through the clouds, casting a golden light over the Blackwood Citadel. The storm had passed, leaving the ocean calm and deceitfully serene.

Julian Blackwood stood in his private office, looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows. The news of the Vanguard's sinking was already hitting the financial networks. Blackwood stock was plummeting.

The heavy oak doors to his office swung open without a knock.

Julian turned to see Chloe walk in, followed closely by Finn. They both looked exhausted, battered, and utterly unyielding.

"You survived," Julian said, his voice void of any paternal warmth. "And you sank my rig."

"We saved the eastern seaboard from a methane explosion, and we saved your crew," Chloe snapped, walking to his mahogany desk and slamming the digital drive down. "This is the malware that Arthur Sterling used to hijack the Vanguard. And before you try to bury it to protect your ego, you should know I already sent copies to the FBI, the SEC, and every major news outlet."

Julian’s face turned an apoplectic shade of red. "You did what? You have exposed this company to federal scrutiny! You have ruined our reputation!"

"Your reputation was built on a glass tank that was destined to shatter, Dad," Chloe said, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "You ignored the warnings about the vault. You ignored the security flaws on the Vanguard. You built a kingdom on arrogance, and it finally collapsed."

"I am the architect of this empire!" Julian roared, slamming his fist on the desk. "You are nothing without my name!"

"I don't want your name," Chloe said smoothly. "Which is why I also called an emergency meeting of the Board of Directors this morning while we were on the coast guard cutter. I showed them the telemetry data. I showed them how your negligence nearly caused an extinction-level event."

Julian froze. "The board..."

"They held a vote of no confidence," Chloe said, stepping back. "You’re out, Julian. The board has appointed me as interim CEO to handle the crisis management. Your access to the Citadel is revoked."