The guests had all gone. The chandeliers were dimmed. Silence settled over the grand hall like a soft curtain after a powerful performance.
But inside Darren, the storm still raged — controlled, focused, and razor-sharp.
Comforting His Mother
Celeste sat quietly on a plush velvet seat near the stage, her hand clasped over her chest. Her eyes were red but dry. She had cried enough. What she saw tonight wasn't just a party.
It was war.
Darren approached gently, kneeling before her, taking her hand in his.
"I'm sorry they ruined your night, Mom."
Celeste gave a faint, bitter smile. "They always did know how to make a mess out of everything."
He squeezed her hand tighter.
"No more. This was the last time they'll ever be able to look down on us."
"From now on, we rise — and they fall."
She looked into his eyes, seeing something in him she'd never seen before.
Steel. Precision. Command.
A man who could stand in boardrooms and battlefields.
"Just… promise me, Darren. Don't lose yourself in this."
"I already lost too much to that family."
Darren leaned forward and kissed her hand.
"You won't lose me. You'll only gain the son you deserve."
Twin Talk
Later that night, he found Aria on the rooftop balcony overlooking the city — the skyline a sea of blinking lights and glowing towers.
She didn't turn as he approached.
"You really said six months?" she asked with a dry laugh. "You know they'll come swinging, right?"
"Let them," Darren replied smoothly. "They're playing catch-up, not chess."
She finally looked at him, and he saw the fire in her eyes — the same fire he carried.
They were twins, after all.
"So what's the plan?" she asked, arms folded.
"We hit them from the inside and out. Start small — minor partnerships, loyal companies, employees we can turn."
"Undermine their infrastructure, absorb what they overlook. When they try to expand, we'll already own the ground they're stepping on."
Aria's eyes lit up.
"Death by a thousand cuts."
"Exactly."
The Future Duo
He turned to her.
"We're not just brother and sister anymore. We're partners."
"You're going to run point on all things PR and branding. You're the public face. Beautiful, sharp, ruthless."
She smirked. "And you?"
"I'm the one behind the curtain. Strategy. Acquisitions. The quiet hammer."
They bumped fists.
"The world thought throwing us out meant we'd vanish," Darren muttered.
"Now, we make them wish they never heard the name Kairos."
System Notification
[Side Feature Unlocked: Strategic Business Scanner]
Use system analysis to scan companies, locate weaknesses, and identify takeover opportunities.
Cooldown: 48 hours
Darren smiled.
"Let's break their empire one brick at a time."