Damien's POV
The first call comes at 3:47 AM Tokyo time, pulling me from the kind of deep sleep I rarely allow myself. Isabella is curled against my side, finally resting peacefully after yesterday's brutal negotiations and evening sickness. I grab my phone before the second ring can wake her.
"Cross." My voice is rough with sleep and irritation.
"Sir, we have a problem." Marcus Chen's voice carries across the international connection with unusual urgency. "Multiple problems, actually."
The tone in his voice makes me fully alert. I ease out of bed, padding to the suite's living area so Isabella can continue sleeping. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, Tokyo's neon skyline pulses like a heartbeat.
"How bad?" I ask, settling into the leather chair facing the city.
"Bad. Our Manchester facility is shut down. Complete manufacturing halt as of two hours ago."
"Equipment failure?" But even as I ask, my instincts are screaming that this isn't mechanical breakdown.
