The financial world didn't sleep.
While most people scrolled their phones in bed or watched late-night shows, trillions of dollars shifted across borders in silent digital rivers.
Ren watched it all unfold in real time.
Transparent screens floated around his office, displaying stock movements, logistics chains, political pressure points, and hidden shell corporations.
The Helios Group was already bleeding.
Not publicly.
Yet.
Their transport insurance firm collapsed within an hour of market opening in Europe.
A shipping subsidiary lost port access in Singapore.
Three mineral suppliers suddenly pulled contracts.
All of it looked like coincidence.
None of it was.
Ren leaned back in his chair calmly.
"Phase two will trigger within twelve hours," he said into the air.
A soft chime answered.
His AI assistant projected updated graphs.
Helios' stock would freefall by morning.
They had no idea yet.
But they would.
Across the city, inside a heavily guarded corporate tower, panic was spreading.
Executives shouted.
Phones rang nonstop.
A man slammed his fist on a marble table.
"THIS IS A COORDINATED ATTACK!"
The Helios CEO's face was pale.
"Who did this?"
Silence.
Everyone knew.
But saying the name felt dangerous.
"…Kingswell," someone whispered.
The room went cold.
"He's just a boy," another executive snapped weakly.
The CEO turned slowly.
"Then why are we collapsing in six hours?"
No one answered.
Because everyone understood the truth.
Ren Kingswell didn't fight with lawsuits.
He fought with systems.
And systems crushed people quietly.
Back at the Kingswell Estate, security levels rose.
Armed patrols doubled.
Drone surveillance activated.
Biometric locks engaged across every building.
Ren walked through it all without changing pace.
"Threat probability has increased to forty-three percent," the head of security reported.
Ren nodded. "Helios is cornered."
"They're likely to hire external assets."
"I know."
"You're still flying tonight?"
"Yes."
A pause.
"That increases risk significantly."
Ren finally stopped walking.
Turned.
Looked the man in the eyes.
"If I stop moving every time someone threatens me, I lose momentum."
Momentum was power.
Power kept people afraid.
Fear kept enemies sloppy.
"I won't hide," Ren said calmly. "That's how kings fall."
The security chief bowed slightly.
"As you command."
That afternoon, Ren held a private call with his parents.
The holographic projection of Marcus and Eleanor flickered into view.
"Helios is already spiraling," Marcus said, impressed.
"They'll attempt retaliation," Eleanor added softly.
Ren nodded. "They always do."
Marcus studied his son carefully.
"Are you prepared for escalation beyond finance?"
Ren met his father's gaze without hesitation.
"They escalated the moment they targeted the energy sector families in Africa last year."
Silence.
That incident had killed hundreds through forced labor and unsafe mining collapses.
Ren hadn't forgotten.
"That was why I destroyed their supply chain," Ren continued. "Not business. Justice."
Eleanor's eyes softened slightly.
"You're becoming dangerous to the wrong people."
"I already am."
Marcus smiled faintly.
"That's my son."
By evening, global news finally broke.
HELIOS GROUP STOCK CRASHES 38% IN HOURS – MARKET SHOCK
Commentators speculated wildly.
Analysts called it unprecedented.
Behind closed doors, Helios executives were screaming.
And someone, somewhere, made a phone call.
Not to lawyers.
To killers.
Ren boarded the private jet as planned.
Everything looked normal.
Too normal.
He noticed it immediately.
The security staff were calm — but tense.
The pilot's tone was tighter than usual.
Tiny details.
Microexpressions.
People who knew danger were sensing it.
Good.
"Any confirmed threats?" Ren asked casually.
"Nothing concrete," the security chief replied. "But chatter increased on dark channels."
Ren nodded.
He buckled in.
The jet took off smoothly.
As clouds swallowed the city lights, Ren stared out the window.
For the first time in years, he felt something close to excitement.
Not recklessness.
Challenge.
Someone finally dared to strike back.
Halfway through the flight, his phone buzzed.
Encrypted channel.
Unknown sender.
A live video feed opened.
A man sat in a dark room.
Face blurred.
Voice altered.
"You should have stopped, Kingswell."
Ren remained calm.
"Helios murdered workers. I ended their empire."
"They paid well for your life."
"Figures."
"You have until landing," the man continued. "Then you die."
The feed cut.
The cabin was silent.
The security chief stiffened.
Ren simply exhaled slowly.
"So it begins."
The jet descended an hour later.
City lights returned.
Everything looked peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Ren stood, straightening his jacket.
"Full perimeter," he ordered calmly.
The guards moved instantly.
Weapons ready.
Exit protocols activated.
The door opened.
Cool night air rushed in.
The runway stretched empty.
The limousine waited ahead.
Nothing seemed wrong.
But Ren's instincts screamed.
A pressure.
A wrongness in the air.
"Snipers," Ren said quietly.
The security chief's eyes widened.
Before he could respond—
A suppressed crack split the air.
A guard's head exploded in a spray of blood.
Another shot.
A second man dropped screaming.
Chaos erupted.
"CONTACT! ROOFTOPS! NORTH SIDE!"
Gunfire tore through the night.
Ren moved instantly.
Not in panic.
In trained precision.
He rolled behind the landing gear as bullets shattered concrete.
His heart pounded.
Not from fear.
From focus.
He grabbed a fallen pistol.
Returned fire.
A shadow fell from a tower in the distance.
One sniper down.
But there were more.
Far more.
This wasn't an assassination.
This was an execution squad.
"Too many!" someone shouted.
"EVAC NOW!"
Ren sprinted.
Bullets whizzed past his ears.
A dart struck his shoulder.
Pain exploded.
His muscles locked.
Poison.
Fast-acting.
His vision blurred.
"Sir!" a guard screamed, grabbing him.
Another dart hit Ren's neck.
Then his side.
He collapsed hard onto the cold concrete.
Gunfire continued above him.
The world tilted.
Darkness crept in like a rising tide.
So this is their answer.
Not lawyers.
Not negotiations.
Just death.
His breathing slowed.
The city lights blurred.
His final thought wasn't fear.
It was frustration.
I wasn't finished yet.
Everything went black.