The three security guards watched him, their hands resting loosely near their belts.

The yellow emergency light on the vault door gave another long, mechanical buzz.

The screen in Nathan’s pocket flashed brightly as a notification popped up.

The notification on the screen was a simple text message.

It read: *Lobby secure. Feed is clear. Board is listening.*

Nathan let out a slow, quiet breath.

He lowered the silver pen.

He did not touch the tip to the paper.

Instead, he turned the pen horizontally in his fingers and laid it flat across the signature line.

“No,” Nathan said.

The single word was not loud, but it seemed to bounce off the concrete walls of the vault.

Richard’s face tightened, the skin around his eyes twitching.

“What did you say?” Richard asked.

“I said no, Father,” Nathan said.

He reached into his pocket and pulled his phone out.

He placed the device face-up on the metal table, right next to the unsigned agreement.

The screen was bright, displaying a list of twenty-four active participants on an encrypted conference call.