Chapter 122

Herod stared at the monitors, his knuckles white as he gripped the edge of his desk. The data scrolling across the screens made no sense. According to every parameter, the Phoenix Grid should be showing signs of stress by now. The modified circuits James Walsh had installed were designed to create power fluctuations after seventy-two hours. That deadline had passed yesterday.

Yet the Grid ran perfectly.

He pulled up news footage of Victoria Kane’s press conference from that morning, where she proudly announced the successful activation of the Grid’s third section. Her silver hair gleamed under the lights as she promised New York “the most reliable power system in the world.” The reporters applauded. The stock climbed higher.

Something was very wrong.

“Damn it,” he muttered, slamming his palm against the desk. The coffee cup beside his keyboard jumped, spilling dark liquid across his papers.

Behind him, the penthouse door opened. Rose entered, carrying s