The sudden blackout swallowed the entire floor of Khan Tower.
For a few seconds, everything was silent.
No gunfire.
No helicopters.
No alarms.
Just darkness.
Then slowly, the emergency lights flickered back on, casting long red shadows across the ruined hallway.
Ryan's eyes immediately moved toward the large wall screens.
A symbol had appeared there.
A symbol no one in the room expected.
Three interlocking circles with a sharp vertical line cutting through them.
Victor's expression changed instantly.
For the first time since the confrontation began…
He looked genuinely uneasy.
"That symbol…" he muttered under his breath.
Meherin noticed the shift.
"You recognize it."
Victor didn't answer immediately.
Ryan, however, spoke quietly.
"Yes."
Meherin turned toward him.
"You know them?"
Ryan's face had become unusually serious.
"They're called The Founders."
The Organization Above the Consortium
The screens suddenly activated.
A distorted voice echoed through the hallway.
Calm.
Cold.
Powerful.
"Good evening."
Everyone froze.
The voice continued.
"It seems our little experiment has become… unstable."
Victor stepped forward.
"Why are you interfering?"
The voice ignored him.
Instead, it addressed Meherin.
"Leader Meherin Rahman."
Her heart skipped a beat.
"You know my name."
"We know everything," the voice replied.
Ryan's jaw tightened.
"What do you want?"
The voice answered simply.
"Control."
The Truth About the Consortium
The voice continued.
"Decades ago, we created the Shadow Consortium."
Meherin stared at the screen.
"You created it?"
"Yes."
"It was designed to maintain balance."
Victor scoffed.
"Balance?"
"You created chaos."
The voice responded calmly.
"Chaos is sometimes necessary."
Ryan's voice hardened.
"You manipulated governments, corporations, and entire economies."
"Yes."
"And now the system is breaking."
The voice paused.
"That is why we are here."
Their Real Plan
One of the screens suddenly displayed global maps.
Financial markets.
Political networks.
Military alliances.
The Founders controlled everything.
Meherin whispered,
"This is impossible."
The voice corrected her.
"No."
"It is inevitable."
Victor's expression darkened.
"You're trying to replace the Consortium."
The voice answered calmly.
"No."
"We are resetting it."
Ryan stepped forward.
"And what does that mean for us?"
The voice replied without hesitation.
"You are obsolete."
The Execution Order
Suddenly multiple red targets appeared on the screens.
Ryan.
Meherin.
Victor.
Daniel.
The voice spoke again.
"Terminate all current leadership."
The soldiers around Daniel raised their weapons immediately.
Daniel's eyes widened.
"Wait—"
Victor cursed.
"You planned to kill all of us?"
The voice remained calm.
"You served your purpose."
Meherin's heart pounded.
"They were manipulating everyone…"
Ryan grabbed her wrist.
"Move!"
Chaos Erupts
Gunfire exploded across the hallway.
Ryan tackled Meherin to the ground as bullets shattered the walls behind them.
Victor dove behind a pillar.
Daniel froze for a second before grabbing a fallen weapon.
The soldiers began shooting at everyone.
Ryan moved with terrifying precision.
He disarmed one soldier.
Knocked another unconscious.
Victor fought like a trained assassin.
But the attackers kept coming.
Because they weren't Consortium soldiers.
They were Founder agents.
Daniel's Redemption
During the chaos, Daniel ran toward Meherin.
Ryan instantly pointed a gun at him.
"Don't come closer."
Daniel raised his hands.
"I'm not with them."
Ryan didn't lower the gun.
"You betrayed us."
Daniel nodded painfully.
"Yes."
"But not them."
Meherin frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Daniel took a breath.
"I joined Victor years ago… to infiltrate the Consortium."
Ryan's eyes narrowed.
"You're lying."
Daniel shook his head.
"No."
"I was working for someone else."
Meherin whispered,
"The Founders?"
Daniel's voice turned grim.
"No."
"The people trying to stop them."
The Hidden Resistance
Ryan hesitated.
Daniel continued quickly.
"There's a resistance group."
"They've been fighting the Founders for years."
Victor overheard this and laughed bitterly.
"So the rebels finally revealed themselves."
Daniel looked at him.
"You knew?"
Victor smirked.
"Of course."
Ryan lowered the gun slightly.
"You should've told me."
Daniel answered quietly.
"You would've tried to destroy them."
Ryan didn't deny it.
A New Alliance
More Founder agents stormed the hallway.
Ryan looked at Meherin.
"We can't fight both sides."
Meherin nodded.
"Then we don't."
Victor suddenly stepped beside them.
Ryan glared at him.
"You expect me to trust you?"
Victor shrugged.
"For the next ten minutes… yes."
Daniel added,
"If we don't work together, we're all dead."
Ryan exhaled slowly.
"Fine."
The Three Enemies Become Allies
Ryan reloaded his weapon.
Meherin tightened her grip on the tablet.
Victor cracked his knuckles.
And Daniel prepared the last of the ammunition.
Ryan glanced at them all.
"This is temporary."
Victor smirked.
"Obviously."
Then the elevator doors burst open.
More Founder agents flooded the hallway.
Ryan's eyes turned deadly.
"Now."
🔥 Final Cliffhanger
As the fight erupted again, the screens suddenly changed.
A new face appeared.
A woman.
Elegant.
Cold.
Powerful.
She spoke calmly.
"Enough."
Everyone froze.
Victor's expression turned pale.
"...Director."
Ryan frowned.
"You know her?"
Victor whispered,
"She's the leader of the Founders."
The woman looked directly at Meherin.
"Miss Rahman."
"Your parents were very difficult people."
Meherin's heart pounded.
"What did you do to them?"
The woman smiled faintly.
"I gave the order."
➜ Next Chapter Teaser (Chapter 26 – The Woman Who Killed My Parents)
In Chapter 26:
Meherin confronts the woman responsible for her parents' death
Ryan faces the Founders' elite assassins
Victor reveals a shocking secret about Meherin's childhood
Daniel's hidden mission becomes clear
And Ryan finally admits something he has been hiding from Meherin
📌 1️⃣
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📌 2️⃣
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