Chapter 110:
Harper grabbed her arm. “Did you see his hand? He bruised his hand for you. That man is obsessed with you.”
Aurora looked at the ancient medical text in her hands. She ran her thumb over the leather.
“He’s… a player,” Aurora said. “A grandmaster.”
She walked into the elevator.
In the car, Elias dialed a number.
“The security at the Obsidian Tower,” he said. “Upgrade it. I want a private detail on the penthouse floor. 24/7.”
“Yes, Mr. Thorne,” his head of security answered. “Shall I bill Miss Vance?”
“No,” Elias said. “Bill me. And make sure she never finds out.”
He hung up. He touched his jaw. It ached slightly from the impact.
He smiled.
The movers had finished days ago, but Aurora was still finding boxes in the Obsidian Penthouse.
She stood in the library she had converted into her command center. It was a massive room with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and a rolling ladder. It smelled of old paper and cedar.
She had set up her gaming rig on an antique oak desk. The contrast between the high-tech monitors and the Victorian furniture was striking. She logged into Apex.
A notification blinked.
She had solved the Sanctuary Puzzle.
She clicked the replay.
She watched S’s moves. They were aggressive. He sacrificed his bishop to open a line for the rook. It was risky. It was emotional.
gαℓησν𝒆𝓁s․𝒸оm, your fiction hub
It wasn’t the way Elias Thorne usually did business.
Aurora frowned. She created a new custom challenge. She called it Dead Man’s Defense. It was a scenario where the player started surrounded, with limited resources.
She typed a note: Try this. High stakes.
She tagged S.
Elias was at a charity gala. He was wearing a tuxedo. He was bored out of his mind.
His phone buzzed.
He pulled it out, hiding it behind his champagne flute.
Phoenix has challenged you.
He excused himself, walking out to the balcony. The city air was cool.
He opened the app. He studied the board.
It was a trap. Any obvious move led to defeat. She was testing his psychology. She wanted to see if he would panic.
He smiled.
He typed: High stakes? What are we betting?
Aurora replied instantly: Loser admits they are wrong.
About what? Elias typed.
Everything, she replied.
.
.
.