Titan Grant was used to chasing power.
But for the first time in his life, power was chasing him.
After D.C., his name moved in whispers through underground investor networks and behind sealed conference room doors. TitanCore Holdings had become more than a firm—it was a warning. A ripple. A force that bent markets and ignored gatekeepers.
He had no investors. No board.
And still—his reach expanded daily.
But that night, back in his Manhattan penthouse overlooking Central Park, Titan wasn't running algorithms or reviewing charts.
He was watching a blinking node on his System interface.
Family Tree Module – Activated
Status: Dormant
Initiating Protocol: Legacy Directive
Primary Quest: Bloodline Optimization
Objective: Identify ideal life partner for genetic, emotional, and intellectual lineage development
Required Traits:
Intelligence Quotient: 150+
Emotional Compatibility: 90%+
Genetic Resilience: Tier A
Fertility Index: Optimal
Timeframe: 18 Months to Firstborn
Reward: Heir Core Activation | Legacy Infrastructure Tree Unlocked
Titan sat perfectly still.
He had been expecting this—eventually. But the sheer clinical intensity of it still made him pause.
"Show me candidates," he said.
The room darkened slightly as the System displayed a 3D map of the world, with glowing points of potential partners—each one analyzed using real-time social media patterns, genetic testing databases (some public, some… less so), academic records, criminal histories, emotional decision-making patterns, and psychological profiling.
Only 12 names remained after filtering.
Top Candidates Identified:
Dr. Aria Nyx – MIT researcher, quantum biocomputing, IQ: 164, EQ: 94%
Leila Sato – Financial AI architect, Zurich-based, athletic genetics, polyglot
Isabel Clarke – Rhodes Scholar, law & philosophy, viral IQ test score: 172
… (and 9 others)
The System spoke directly into his mind—neutral, yet unnervingly decisive:
"Dr. Aria Nyx matches 96.7% compatibility across all vectors. Location: Boston. Will be speaking at The Nexus AI Conference in 72 hours. Initiate contact?"
Titan hesitated.
He had built billion-dollar trades overnight. Disarmed lobbyists with a smile. Flipped black-market algorithms to gain an edge.
But now? Now he was choosing the mother of his children—with machine precision.
And strangely… that made it feel real.
"Give me full briefing," he ordered.
A dossier opened like a spy file:
Name: Dr. Aria Nyx
Age: 27
IQ: 164 (verified across 3 testing bodies)
Education: PhD – MIT, Neural Information Systems
Physical Health: Exceptional. Zero genetic predispositions. Athletic. Fertility Index: 98.4%
Psych Profile: Calm under stress, high empathy, strong autonomy. Values innovation, dislikes hierarchy.
Relationship History: Private. No red flags. High trust ratings among academic peers.
Quote: "We don't need better answers. We need better frameworks to ask the right questions."
Titan read the last line twice.
Then nodded.
"Track her schedule. I want to attend that conference. Quietly."
System Confirmed. Event badge generated. You'll appear as "Victor G. Lamont – Sponsor Delegate."
Titan shut the console and rose.
This wasn't about love—not yet.
This was about legacy engineering. About finding someone not just capable of raising heirs, but partnering in building an empire.
He pulled up a map of the conference center, already labeled by the System with biometric access points, likely interactions, and seating arrangements.
Projected Meeting Opportunity: 11:45 AM, Panel Lounge, Post-Speech Refreshments
Approach Strategy: Casual Inquiry + Aligned Interest in AI Ethics → Personal Connect → Reinforced Trust via System Layered Suggestion
Titan dressed carefully that night. Not like a hedge fund billionaire. Not like a king. But like a man you'd underestimate in a room full of geniuses.
And somewhere deep in his core, he felt it—
Not fear.
But anticipation.
Because for the first time since activating the System, this wasn't about control.
It was about something far more difficult to master.
Connection.
And Titan Grant had never failed a mission.