The room was immaculate, floor-to-ceiling glass, a long polished table, and the Saints crest gleaming proudly behind Kashi's seat. Everything was arranged perfectly, every detail calculated to project power. Yet the weight of what was about to happen pressed on her like a storm in the distance.
Zach stood at her side, calm as ever, flipping through the finalized proposal documents. "Miss Saints, the files are in order. All projections, benefits, and contingencies are here. If he presses too hard, we can pivot to Maverick International as backup." He glanced up at her, adjusting his glasses.
Frank lingered by the door, arms crossed, a silent pillar of support. "If he tries anything, you walk," he grumbled under his breath, repeating her grandfather's warning almost word for word.
Before Kashi could respond, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed down the hallway. The atmosphere shifted instantly, like the air itself was bracing.
The double doors opened.
Chaos stepped inside first, dressed in a tailored black suit, gloves on, his expression calm but unreadable. Behind him was Xavier, and Alex, who true to his nature, sauntered in with a careless grin, hands in his pockets as though he owned the room.
The energy shifted. Boardrooms were used to power, but when Chaos entered, it felt like gravity itself had changed.
He stopped across from Kashi, meeting her eyes without hesitation, and for a long beat, no one else in the room seemed to exist.
"Miss Saints," he said evenly, his voice smooth and commanding. "You asked for this meeting. Now…" His eyes sharpened. "…show me why I should give you what you want."
Kashi stood to receive him, then motioned toward the chair opposite hers. "Mr. X, thank you for agreeing to this meeting."
Chaos didn't immediately move. He let the silence stretch, his gaze locked on her, as though weighing whether her courtesy was genuine or just another mask. Finally, he inclined his head, a subtle acknowledgment, and took the chair opposite hers with deliberate calm. Xavier remained behind him like a shadow, while Alex dropped into the seat beside them without being asked, already smirking.
"You make it sound," Chaos said quietly, slipping off one glove with slow precision, "as if I had much of a choice." He placed the glove neatly on the table, his uncovered hand resting casually against the polished surface.
Alex chuckled low, leaning back. "Careful, Kashi. He's already in one of his moods."
Zach's eyes flicked to her, silently awaiting her cue, while Frank shifted his weight near the door, his stare fixed on Chaos with distrust carved deep into his features.
Chaos leaned forward slightly, his expression unreadable. "So. Convince me. Why should X Holdings tie itself to Saints Company? What do you bring me that I can't already take?"
The air tightened with expectation. Every eye in the room turned to Kashi.
She lifted her hand toward Zach, and he placed a file in front of Chaos with crisp precision.
"Saints Company," she began, her tone steady, "has been the government's primary ammunition manufacturer for Eight decades. We operate under direct federal oversight, and our compliance record is spotless."
Chaos watched her without blinking.
"We're preparing to launch a next-generation ammunition line designed for enhanced defense precision, long-range deployment efficiency, and reduced collateral exposure." She let that settle. "Production capacity is ready. Contracts are pending expansion. What we require is strategic backing, resource priority, global distribution leverage, and international procurement access."
She closed the file in front of her halfway.
"In return, we offer equal profit participation for the next three years on all expanded defense contracts tied to this line."
The room went silent.
Even Alex straightened slightly.
Chaos flipped through the document slowly, reviewing projections and government endorsements, then placed the folder back on the table.
"You're offering me access to a government-backed military supply expansion," he said calmly. "Equal share."
"Yes."
"And in doing so," he continued, eyes narrowing slightly, "you're tying your legacy to mine."
Kashi didn't flinch.
"Saints Company is already trusted by the Country" she said evenly. "But influence beyond national contracts requires infrastructure we don't currently possess."
"And you believe I do," Chaos finished.
"I know you do."
The tension sharpened.
Chaos leaned back in his chair, studying her carefully. "You realize what this means, Miss Saints. Once X Holdings steps into government defense expansion, there's no clean exit. The market shifts. Competitors retaliate. Political eyes watch."
"Saints Company has never feared scrutiny," Kashi replied.
Alex let out a low whistle. "She's either fearless or brilliant."
Chaos's gaze darkened slightly. "Or reckless."
He stood, walking slowly toward the window overlooking the city.
"You're asking me to place my name beside yours in a government-tier defense initiative," he said quietly. "You understand that ammunition is not fashion, not real estate, not luxury goods. It shapes power."
Kashi rose as well, keeping distance but refusing to shrink. "And power unused is power surrendered. You're not here because you need us. You're here because you recognize opportunity.
Chaos moved to the table, took the file, flipping through it with deliberate calm. Numbers, projections, contingencies, he absorbed them without reaction, then set the folder down with a soft, controlled thud.
Slowly, he turned, His icy blue eyes found Kashi's, and for a long, suffocating moment, he simply stared.
"You stand across from me," he said at last, his tone low and steady, "and offer me equal profit sharing, priority access, and market control, wrapped in the language of partnership." His head tilted slightly, studying her like she was a puzzle he intended to take apart piece by piece. "And you think you're the one holding the leverage."
Kashi raised a brow.
"Tell me, Miss Saints… do you understand what you've just put on my table?" His gaze narrowed. "Or are you too blinded by ambition to realize the leash you're placing around your own neck?"
Chaos's eyes held Kashi's, unblinking. "One wrong move," he said quietly, "and the world won't call you a Saint. They'll call you a devil."
Kashi didn't back down. If anything, she stood up straighter, more composed, more deliberate, like she'd finally decided to stop pretending this was anything other than what it was: power.
"I intend on tipping the balance of the world for profits, not the world! In the end it's all profit, wars, weapons, whoever holds power hold profits! This weapon will be unlike anything the world has ever seen and I intend to create it. X holding can either join us in the creation or watch from the sideline like everyone else when I make it a success" she said, her voice calm and unwavering. "I'm here for profit. And profit follows power."
The room shifted.
Zach's brows rose almost imperceptibly, but his silence carried quiet approval, he'd seen her take control before, but not with this kind of cold clarity. Frank's jaw tightened, protective instincts flaring, yet even he couldn't hide the flicker of respect in his eyes.
Alex, lounging with careless confidence, let out a low whistle and laughed. "¡Carajo!" He slapped his palm against the table once, delighted. "Now that's how you throw a gauntlet." His gaze flicked between Kashi and Chaos, amused and intrigued. "Saints has claws after all."
But Chaos didn't move. Didn't blink.
He leaned forward slowly, folding his hands on the table, his gaze drilling into Kashi with a stillness that could break lesser people. The silence stretched, thick, suffocating, until finally, a smirk curved his lips. Cold. Dangerous. Almost approving.
"Most people who sit across from me flinch. Beg. You stand here and dare me to either join you…" His eyes dipped briefly to the file, then returned to her. "…or watch you take the contract landscape from under everyone's feet."
Kashi's gaze didn't waver.
Chaos studied her for another beat, then the smirk widened by a fraction. "Careful, Kashi. The last person who reshaped a market at this scale…" He tapped the closed file once, slow and deliberate. "…was me."
The weight of his words settled between them like a warning wrapped in a challenge.
Kashi leaned forward, grin widening. "So, X.… is that a yes or a no?"
Chaos didn't answer immediately. His eyes stayed locked on her, as if the room had blurred into nothing but the line between them.
Then, finally,
"Fine," he said, quiet but absolute. "X Holdings will partner with Saints Company. Equal shares. Equal profits. For three years."
A murmur rippled from the far end of the table, disbelief dressed up as professionalism, but Chaos didn't spare it a glance. His attention remained fixed on Kashi.
"You've just tied yourself to me," kashi smiled. "Remember that."
Alex barked out a laugh and clapped once. "Well, damn. Didn't think you'd say yes, brother." He looked at Kashi like she'd become a new kind of entertainment. "This is going to be fun."
Zach's eyes flicked to Kashi, steady, already calculating the ripple effects, already preparing for the storm this decision would bring. Frank, however, scowled openly, muttering under his breath about "the devil in a suit."
"Draw up the contracts," he said coolly walking away. "My office will review them by week's end."
He paused only once, turning his head just enough to look directly at Kashi. His voice dropped, just low enough for her alone.
"You've stepped into my world now," he murmured. "Don't disappoint me."
And then he walked out, Xavier following in silence, Alex flashing Kashi a wolfish grin before sauntering after them.
The room was left in stunned quiet, like it had just witnessed a deal that would rewrite the balance of power in the city.