THE STARDUST FORTUNE

Chapter 32: Beneath The Surface

The private elevator descended to Eleanor's sanctuary beneath Drake Industries. Alex watched his wife's reflection in the polished doors, her composure perfectly maintained despite the chaos they'd left behind.

"The security feeds are scrubbed," Kane's voice came through their implants. "The guests are being handled."

"Memory wipes?" Alex asked.

"Standard procedure," Eleanor's voice was soft. "Would you prefer mass panic?"

The elevator stopped. Eleanor's heels clicked against marble as she walked to the center of her private office. The city sparkled beyond floor-to-ceiling windows, oblivious to what had transpired.

"You promised me truth," Alex said.

Eleanor poured two drinks. "The truth is complicated."

"Try me."

"Your father discovered something in the Mars samples." She handed him a glass. "Something that changed everything we thought we knew about evolution."

"The beings?"

"No." Eleanor's form flickered momentarily. "What they were running from."

Luna's voice cut through their im