Raven didn't call him for small matters.
If she used the phrase "We have a problem," it was serious enough to affect his grand plans.
"Alright, ladies. Raven called. Company business. Do you three want to stay in Long Island for your vacation, or come back to the office with me?"
Vincent asked softly.
"I want to go to the office! I'm an official employee now, right?" Domino said excitedly.
"My gear is still at the tower," Inez stopped eating her ice cream and wiped a dab of white cream from the corner of her mouth.
"Time to work, isn't it, Boss?" Sandi smiled, her eyes forming crescents.
But deep in her eyes, there was a hint of regret.
Vincent met her gaze and understood immediately. She was rarely out of the office, and she had been drooling over her boss. Now that vacation was over, she likely wouldn't get a chance to quench the fire ignited last night.
He put on the Sling Ring and slashed the air.
Golden magic tore open space, revealing the passage to Vincent's private office at Oscorp.
The three women tactfully stepped through.
Vincent used his telekinesis to tidy up the villa in a single second before following them.
With the Sling Ring, he didn't even bother flying. No matter how fast he flew, teleportation was instant.
Vincent brought the three women back to his office.
When the portal opened, Julia Roberts looked at him in surprise. She knew his schedule; the Boss wasn't supposed to be in.
"Boss, should I notify President Raven?" Julia asked softly.
" let Raven come to me. This is Domino. Domino, this is Julia, my personal assistant."
The two women exchanged glances, sparks flying.
Clearly, jealousy was at play. But Julia was older and wiser; she knew her status was secure.
"Take Domino to HR. Her contract and rank are equal to Sandi and Inez," Vincent ordered.
"Domino, please follow me," Julia smiled sweetly.
"Thank you, Big Sister Julia," Domino beamed.
A girl who loves to smile usually has good luck.
Three women make a drama. Now there were five at Oscorp. And they all knew each other's relationship with the boss.
Am I running an internal competition? Vincent mused. Let the harem games begin.
Raven received the notification that Vincent was back.
Dressed in a black and white business suit, she walked in slowly. Her face was devoid of her usual smile.
"Sandi, Inez, get back to work. Leave Domino to HR."
Vincent frowned slightly.
Sandi and Inez left the top floor immediately.
Raven's tight expression finally relaxed into a smile. Without a word, she stood on tiptoes, wrapped her arms around Vincent's neck, and kissed him passionately.
She didn't let go until she was breathless.
Vincent carried her into his inner office with one hand, her legs wrapped around his waist.
Julia wouldn't be back for a while.
"Talk. What happened?" Vincent asked.
"Wells Fargo is calling in our debt."
Raven's face turned serious.
"Does Smith know about this?"
"Boss, Mr. Smith is missing. I tried to contact him, no trace. I found his family... they were silenced. It was brutal."
Raven looked pained. She had seen horrors in her life, but the state of Smith's family still disturbed her.
Through their psychic link, Vincent saw the bloody scene in Raven's memory.
His eyes went cold.
"Mr. Smith was my friend. Someone knew that and still slaughtered his family. They are provoking my rage. Raven, summon the Wells Fargo executives. I want to see the person who speaks for their backers."
Smith was the Vice President of Wells Fargo.
He goes missing, and immediately the bank demands repayment?
Vincent didn't believe in coincidences.
After the fall of the Vlad Family, control of Wells Fargo had passed to the DuPont Family.
Vincent had ceded control of the Vlad assets to show goodwill. As an Asian man in Western high society, he was an outsider. Despite owning Oscorp, he was rarely invited to elite galas. Many slandered him behind his back.
But the government's cautious attitude kept them at bay. Not everyone knew he was the Ice Demon.
But the DuPonts knew.
This ancient American family, wealthy enough to rival nations and influence Presidents, was declaring war on him.
"Boss, what do you plan to do?"
Raven hadn't called the bank yet.
"We just announced the Super Soldier Serum, and suddenly Oscorp is hit. My strategic partner, my loyal servant, my dear friend Mr. Smith is missing and his family butchered. Raven, how should I react?"
Vincent smiled dangerously.
"I have a feeling they don't just want the gene tech. They want to push you into opposition. Force the government to declare war on us," Raven analyzed.
Vincent's smile widened.
"That's a good thing, Raven."
Raven was confused.
"Call the bank executives. I need a point of entry."
Vincent wasn't panicked.
The enemy had made a move, which meant they had exposed a flaw.
His advantage: He was in the light, but his power was absolute. They were in the dark. If they exposed themselves, they died.
He had built his throne on blood—slaughtering the Vatican, sinking a Carrier Group—to create a zone of deterrence so he could live a quiet life as a rich playboy.
But clearly, someone wanted to test his patience.
Oscorp Helipad.
A helicopter landed. A powerful figure in the New York financial world stepped out.
Bart Barlow, the new CEO of Wells Fargo.
Real power lay with the DuPonts, along with the Morgans and Rockefellers. But Barlow was the face.
He had never liked Smith. A traitor to his class shouldn't hold so much power.
Smith was missing. Probably dead.
The bank should have just reclaimed Smith's authority quietly. But this morning, someone authorized a demand for Oscorp to repay $13.6 Billion immediately.
This bypassed Barlow's authority.
But the notice was public. The financial world knew. Oscorp had recovered, but $13.6 billion in cash? Impossible.
This was a declaration of war.
Barlow walked down the stairs. His bodyguards were stopped by an afro-haired woman with a playful smile. Domino.
Barlow signaled his men to stand down.
Oscorp was untouchable. The SEC ignored their irregularities because Vincent Hall was the "Demon of the Century." Even the DuPonts usually walked on eggshells around him.
Inside the office.
Vincent sat on the sofa, Raven standing behind him.
The pressure in the room was suffocating.
"Does the DuPont Family care to explain this?"
Vincent's voice was soft.
Barlow was already sweating.
"Misunderstanding. Pure misunderstanding, Mr. Hall."
Barlow stood trembling.
"I want to know the whereabouts of the other Vice President. Can you tell me, President Barlow?"
Vincent's Psychic Sovereign power pierced Barlow's mind effortlessly.
Barlow knew nothing. He didn't even know about the debt recall until it happened.
"This..." Barlow stammered.
"The DuPonts manage their bank poorly. I am disappointed. Smith suggested I take control of Wells Fargo, but I declined to spare the White House embarrassment. So I allowed my friend Smith to negotiate with the DuPonts."
Vincent's voice remained gentle.
But Barlow, knowing who sat before him, was terrified. His legs gave out, and he collapsed to the floor.
"Mr. Barlow, please sit."
Barlow scrambled up and bowed. "This is my failure."
"No. This isn't on you. Enemies shot an arrow from the dark. But the DuPonts shouldn't hide behind you."
Vincent looked up, his gaze icy.
Barlow fell to his knees again.
"Get up. I'm not Japanese. I don't need kowtowing."
"Mr. DuPont sent a message," Barlow stammered. "This was an error. The debt is forgiven. The DuPont family will cover the funds. And they are using all resources to find Smith."
Vincent smiled.
"An excellent solution. If other shareholders object, let me know their names."
Barlow agreed instantly and fled.
Raven hopped over the back of the sofa and landed in Vincent's lap.
"What do you think?"
"Not the DuPonts directly. But they tried to use this loan to seize Oscorp," Vincent said, his hands wandering over Raven.
Raven blushed but stayed focused. "So we have no leads?"
"No. The kidnappers will call soon."
"Even if they kill Smith and call the debt, they can't take Oscorp. Why do this?"
"Distraction. They want me out of New York."
Vincent's eyes narrowed.
"They know I'm loyal. They think if they kidnap Smith, I'll chase them. While I'm gone, they'll target Gwen. Then they'll trade Gwen for the Super Soldier Serum or destroy Oscorp."
His psychic intuition traced the lines of probability.
"Hydra?" Raven's eyes flashed cold.
"Not just Hydra. They have good tech now thanks to Connors. But they want the Super Soldier Serum. And they want to expose my identity to make me a Public Enemy, keeping me too busy to track them."
Vincent grinned.
They forgot one variable.
Super Brain.
His brain processing speed, enhanced by the Kryptonian bloodline, now surpassed even Professor X. He could process global information instantly.
"Are we going to save Mr. Smith?" Raven asked.
"I'm taking you somewhere."
"Where?"
"The Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters."
Vincent probed Raven's memory for the coordinates.
He activated the Sling Ring.
Raven saw the familiar architecture through the portal and stood up in shock.
Cerebro.
Vincent pulled Raven through the portal into the dark underground chamber.
Magneto had built this for Charles. A place where the Professor could view every mind on Earth.
"Why play their game?" Vincent said coldly.
"We can handle this simply."
Raven looked complicated. If Charles were alive, he would fight to keep the Ice Demon out of this sanctuary.
Vincent walked up to the walkway.
He looked at the silver helmet.
"Raven, have a chat with your old friend Charles. Don't let him disturb me."
Vincent's voice carried an irresistible command.
"Understood, Boss!"
Raven's expression turned serious.
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