Victor's crimson gaze lingered on Connor a beat longer before he straightened, pulling his phone from his pocket. A flick of his wrist, a single contact pressed, and the call rang out.
Adam answered on the second chime, his voice crisp as ever. "Sir?"
"Get Professor Stone into my office at NumenCorp," Victor said, smooth dark, casual as if he were ordering lunch rather than pulling a leash. "Today. Now, if possible."
"Yes, sir." Adam's tone didn't falter, though Elias thought he caught a thread of faint hesitation before the line clicked dead.
Elias's brow furrowed. "Stone?" His voice came out rough, disbelief cutting through the exhaustion. "You think he'll talk?"
Victor's smile was nothing short of cruel. "Stone talks to whoever pays him. And Clarke's coin is cheap compared to mine." He leaned back against the table again, his presence filling the space with the kind of calm that promised ruin. "He will switch his loyalties the moment he gets a new funding."
