The morning sun rose, casting long, geometric shadows across the pristine lawn of the Lin Mansion. While Kaius Thorne's high-tech labs remained in the dark about the details of the raid, inside the Matriarch's sitting room, Anya Lin was executing the final, critical phase of her first major mission.
She stood by the Matriarch's bedside, the tiny vial of pale blue antidote in her hand. The Matriarch, still frail but keenly alert, watched her.
"I need your word, Matriarch," Anya said, her voice now completely devoid of timidity, carrying the calm authority of a seasoned physician. "What I administer is not a simple antidote; it is a slow-release stabilizing agent that will neutralize the cyanide accumulation and protect you against future, small-scale attacks. But it requires your absolute discretion and trust."
The Matriarch's eyes narrowed, a flicker of suspicion replaced by grudging respect. "You speak with the confidence of Dr. Marcus himself, Anya. Administer it. My word is my bond. If you save my life, I will give you the votes. I will give you the power to crush Julian and Elena and protect my legacy."
Anya gently helped the elderly woman sit up and administered the synthesized liquid. The taste was sharp and metallic. Within minutes, the Matriarch took a deep, steadying breath, the pallor in her face lessening slightly.
"You are good, child," the Matriarch whispered, a tear tracing a path down her cheek. "Now, they will think I am rallying naturally. This buys us time. Go. Focus on their downfall."
The success of Dr. A was secured. Anya had earned the Matriarch's trust and the powerful Lin voting bloc—the key to the Lin company and a significant asset to the Thorne Group's stability.
A few hours later, Anya was back at the Thorne Estate, maintaining her role as the quiet, slightly traumatized wife. She found Kaius Thorne in his study, having dismissed his remaining security advisors.
Kaius looked up, his expression a mixture of profound suspicion and dawning realization. He was holding two printouts: one was the Thorne Bio-Analyst team's final, coded report confirming cyanide poisoning, and the other was the preliminary findings from the "Goliath Financial" audit she had commissioned.
"The Matriarch is recovering," Kaius stated, his eyes boring into her. "The analyst's report confirms your diagnosis. I don't know who you are, Anya, but your medical competence is... unparalleled."
He threw the second printout onto the desk. "And this. The background check on the Swiss shell company 'Goliath Financial.' This isn't small-time fraud. It's a vast holding company with ties to global defense contracts and illicit trading. It has recently acquired large, anonymous blocks of shares in five of Thorne Group's key competitor firms."
Kaius leaned back, tapping his fingers sharply on the desk. "This confirms the Phoenix warning. The Shadow Syndicate isn't just hacking us; they're trying a hostile takeover of the entire tech sector. And you, Mrs. Thorne, seem to know more about it than my entire security team combined. Explain the medical side of this."
Anya maintained her timid posture but delivered her strategic analysis with the cool logic of the Oracle. "Mr. Thorne, my Lin grandmother studied ancient medicine. I only applied her forgotten methods. As for the financial side... my father, the Patriarch, always told me that every poisoning is a political message."
She paused for dramatic effect. "Julian and Elena poisoned the Matriarch for internal Lin power. The Shadow Syndicate is poisoning the global market for external power. The method is different, but the intent is the same: eliminating the key opposition before a major acquisition."
Kaius stared at the timid woman who had just synthesized an antidote in his lab, commissioned a financial audit of a global shadow enemy, and delivered a masterclass in political strategy. He was no longer looking at a timid bride; he was looking at a strategic asset he couldn't afford to lose.
"Very well, Phoenix," Kaius said, using the alias for the first time in person, his voice barely a whisper. "The game has changed. I'm calling off the futile external investigation. From this moment on, I will be your primary interface. You report to me, and only to me. What is your next move?"
Anya had won the alliance. She had transformed the marriage from a source of humiliation into a military partnership where she was the chief strategist.
"My next move," Anya replied, her voice steady and confident, "is to gather more intelligence on Goliath Financial through my 'non-competitive employment.' I have established a contact, Ambassador Dubois, through my art studies (Xiao). Dubois has high-level diplomatic contacts and a network that intersects with the kind of illicit trading Goliath is engaged in. I need to leverage that.
She presented her demand: "I require permission to host a small, discreet Thorne Group social event at the estate. I need to use this event to gain Dubois's trust and place a hidden, secured listening device near the Syndicate's known local operatives."
Kaius frowned. "A social event? That's the riskiest move yet. You'll be exposing yourself to our enemies."
"It's the only way to establish my public cover as a socialite interested in art, not a hacker interested in finance," Anya countered smoothly. "And you, Mr. Thorne, must sell the public image of a loving, supportive husband. It will give me the perfect camouflage."
A reluctant smile, the first hint of genuine amusement, touched Kaius's lips. "You want to turn our hateful marriage into a public romance to run espionage. Brilliant. And reckless."
"Only brilliant, if it works," Anya corrected.
The alliance was barely formed when Lydia Thorne, Kaius's volatile sister, burst into the study, fueled by fresh rage.
"Kaius! You have to fire that fool Wallace! He told me you've put a freeze on my entire fashion line account! What is wrong with you?"
Kaius sighed, the professional calm shattering. "Lydia, your account was flagged due to instability caused by your aggressive borrowing and the general market volatility. Fix your business model."
"No! It's her!" Lydia shrieked, pointing an accusing finger at Anya. "That stupid hag poisoned your mind! She's destroying us! And now Julian Lin is talking about her 'masterpiece' at the museum, and everyone thinks I'm a thief!"
Lydia was out of control. Seeing her opening, Anya used the domestic conflict to reinforce her strategic proposal.
"Lydia," Anya said calmly, maintaining her distant politeness. "I only showed Julian my art to stop him from harassing my friend, Chloe. You are misdirecting your anger. Your finance advisor pulled out because you are constantly undermining your brother's authority and creating public volatility."
Anya's sharp statement, delivered with confidence, momentarily stunned Lydia.
Kaius stepped in decisively, grabbing his sister's arm. "Anya is right, Lydia. You are a threat to this company's stability. And since you seem to enjoy social drama so much, you will personally assist Anya in planning her charity art event. It starts immediately. No protests."
Lydia glared at Anya, hate burning in her eyes. "I will make her life a living hell, Kaius. You'll see."
Anya merely gave Lydia a small, pitying smile. The perfect revenge was not to destroy Lydia, but to turn her into an unwitting accomplice in the Phoenix's intelligence operations.
The event planning started tomorrow. Anya had secured her cover, her financial assets, and her alliance. Now, the Phoenix would step onto the social stage, disguised as Xiao, the socialite wife.