Signed in Blood: The Price of Secrets

Pt~ 20 1/2 The Lowest

Then happened something that made Lilith a living puppet of The Cross Inc.

Day 1: The First Fracture

The morning broke with a buzz of headlines: "Lilith Inc. Under Scrutiny After Raid." Investors who once spoke of innovation and stability were now whispering about instability. Not because of any official claims, but because of whispers. And those whispers came with money.

Shell companies—anonymous, aggressive, and silently tied back to Nathalian Cross—began buying Lilith Inc. stock. On paper, it looked like investor interest. In reality, it was a quiet siege. Shares dipped, spiked, and dipped again, causing analysts to speculate that Lilith had lost market trust.

Inside the company, departments were panicked. Some clients froze contracts. A few middle-tier employees quietly began contacting recruiters. Lilith, however, held her silence.

She spent the day walking through departments, casually, silently, just watching. Observing. Not correcting the rumors, not appeasing the fear. Only watching. Caleb followed her in some of those rounds—sometimes taking notes, sometimes just standing nearby like a shadow determined to be useful.

By afternoon, an "anonymous leak" posted a document detailing potential merger talks between Lilith Inc. and one of Cross's affiliated entities. The file looked legitimate. It wasn't. But the damage was done. Her shares dropped again.

Investors called in. Sponsors backed off. PR agents kept their mouths shut.

That night, in her office, Lilith sat with a glass of untouched wine. Noah came in with a tablet. "Two of the board members are asking for an emergency review of your leadership."

She didn't react. "Tell them I look forward to it."

Day 2: Collapse in Slow Motion

Early morning saw the boardroom tense. Some of the members were visibly nervous. Others looked eager—as if the collapse of a company was an opportunity.

Nicolai sat at the far end, arms crossed. He didn't speak. Not yet.

Lilith entered without fanfare. She didn't acknowledge anyone, just sat.

"Before you begin," she said coolly, "I've already sent a proposal for stabilization to our private stakeholders. We'll wait until they respond before entertaining speculative narratives."

The silence was thick. Nicolai's eyes met hers, a quiet warning beneath them. He knew that wasn't enough.

Meanwhile, social media buzzed with a new trending tag: #LilithUnmasked. A whistleblower video circulated—an obvious plant. It accused the company of unethical data mining, citing no real evidence, but emotionally effective.

By afternoon, the company's PR head stepped down.

Eric messaged her: "There's room for maneuvering still. I suggest you don't let pride cost you leverage."

She ignored it.

Later that night, the financial wing reported an automated selloff triggered by volatility. Almost 6% of Lilith's valuation was wiped in under thirty minutes. News outlets picked it up instantly.

Inside her apartment, Lilith sat by the window. Axel placed a mug of coffee beside her without a word. She didn't touch it.

"They want you scared," he said finally. "They want to convince you you're alone."

Lilith didn't look at him.

"Then they're forgetting what I do when I am."

Outside, the skyline flickered.

And in the shadows of that conversation, one thing became clear—

The next move wouldn't be Cross's.

It would be hers.