The Price of Freedom

The Thorne executive suite was no longer a command center; it was a tomb of glass and cold light. Outside, the city skyline pulsed with the indifferent rhythm of a world that had already moved on from the Thorne name. Inside, the silence was absolute, save for the rhythmic, final click of Julian’s terminal as he purged the last of his administrative access.

He didn't look at the screens. He didn't need to. The red-lettered headlines—Thorne Empire Crumbles: Heir Defies Dynasty—were burned into his retinas. He pulled the encrypted drive f

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