## Chapter 11: The Glass Horizon of Paris
The flight from Belgravia to Paris was a four-hour masterclass in strategy. In the cabin of the *Aegis*, Lulan sat opposite Silas, the glowing blueprints of the **Palais de Verre** floating between them.
"We've secured the liquidity," Lulan said, her eyes tracing the digital layouts. "Kael's buy-back of the Lascourine shares has stabilized our base. But the European Medical Council won't care about our bank account. They care about their monopoly."
Silas sharpened a small, obsidian combat knife—a ritual he performed before every "diplomatic" mission. "The Paris Gala is a trap, Lulan. You're walking into a room full of people who spent the last decade profiting from the 'shoddy' medical patents you're trying to replace."
"I'm not walking in to make friends, Silas," Lulan replied. "I'm walking in to perform a biopsy on the continent."
### The Arrival of the Titans
As the Lascourine motorcade pulled up to the Glass Palace, the media frenzy was unlike anything Paris had seen. This was the first public appearance of the "Lascourine Four."
* **Lucian (14)**, looking like a young officer in his tailored suit, scanned the rooftops with a gaze that made professional bodyguards flinch.
* **Bastian (12)**, flashing a million-dollar smile to the cameras, already handing out "Lascourine Health" cards to influential reporters.
* **Kael and Elara (9)**, holding tablets like shields, their young faces eerily calm as they processed the security data of every guest entering the building.
Lulan stepped out last. She wore a dress of structured silk that looked like armor, her hair pulled back in a tight, surgical bun. Beside her, Silas was a shadow in a tuxedo, his presence radiating a "don't-touch" energy.
---
### The First Face-Off: The House of Valois
Inside the Gala, the air was thick with the scent of expensive perfume and ozone. At the center of the hall stood **Matriarch Genevieve de Valois**, the woman who secretly controlled the patent-flow of every antibiotic in the EU.
"Director Lascourine," Genevieve said, her voice like ice clinking in a glass. "We were so sorry to hear about the General. A tragic loss for Belgravia. We assumed you would be... indisposed... during the mourning period."
"In my family, Matriarch, the best way to honor the dead is to finish their work," Lulan replied, her voice cutting through the ambient music.
"And what work is that?" Genevieve asked, a mocking tilt to her head. "Building clinics for the poor?"
"No," Lulan said, stepping into the Matriarch's personal space. "Dismantling the systems that make people poor so you can sell them the 'cure' on credit."
The room went silent. This was the **"Face-Slap"** the readers had been waiting for. In one sentence, Lulan had declared war on the entire medical establishment of Europe.
---
### The Hidden Threat
Suddenly, Kael pulled at Lulan's sleeve. "Mother... my sensors just detected a rapid cooling in the room's ventilation system. It's localized. Only around our table."
Lulan's eyes narrowed. She didn't look at the vents; she looked at the wine glasses on the tray of a passing waiter. The liquid was beginning to crystallize.
"Silas, the air," Lulan whispered.
"I feel it," Silas said, his hand moving to his inner jacket.
This wasn't an assassination attempt; it was a **"Biological Warning."** The Valois family was testing the Lascourines' ability to detect a **Cryo-Pathogen**—a virus that only activates when the body temperature drops below 36°C.
"Bastian, get the heaters from the kit," Lulan commanded. "Lucian, find the waiter. Elara, I need a sample of that wine."
The Lascourine family didn't panic. They moved with a synchronized efficiency that left the Parisian elite bewildered. Within seconds, they had neutralized the localized "cold-zone" and secured the evidence.
Lulan turned back to Genevieve, who was watching with a pale face.
"Nice attempt at a 'cold' reception, Matriarch," Lulan said, her voice a lethal whisper. "But I've dealt with more dangerous things in a Zurich morgue. Now, shall we talk about the Bio-Embargo you're planning? Or should I show the press what you just tried to do to my children?"