Victor Hale did not rage.
He recalculated.
Courts were inefficient. Judges were unpredictable. Law was noisy.
Money, however, was silent—and obedient.
At precisely 9:00 a.m., Phase Two began.
The Market Move
It started with whispers.
A credit downgrade rumor.A hedge fund pullback.A delayed bond renewal.
By noon, three of Pearson Specter Litt's largest corporate clients were under pressure.
Not sued.
Not investigated.
Starved.
Louis Litt burst into Ace's office, tie undone, breathing hard.
"It's a liquidity squeeze," Louis said. "Banks are 'reviewing exposure.' Investors are panicking."
Harvey followed close behind. "Hale's not attacking us anymore."
Ace looked up slowly. "Correct."
"He's attacking our oxygen."
Fight #652Opponent: Capital pressureStatus: Engaged
Ace stood and activated the wall display.
Dozens of graphs appeared—credit flows, bond maturities, counterparty risk.
Mike Ross stared. "This isn't legal."
Ace nodded. "No. It's financial warfare."
Jessica Pearson entered, expression sharp. "How bad?"
Ace didn't soften it.
"If this continues for seventy-two hours," Ace said, "we lose two clients. If it hits a week, the firm's valuation drops enough to invite takeover interest."
Silence.
Harvey exhaled slowly. "He's trying to bleed us without touching us."
Ace met his gaze. "And he assumes we'll play defense."
Fight #668Opponent: Predictive assumptionStatus: Targeted
Ace's Shift
Ace didn't return to his desk.
He walked to the center of the room.
"We counter-leverage," Ace said.
Louis frowned. "With what?"
Ace's golden eyes were calm.
"With him."
Katrina looked up sharply. "Hale's capital structure is diversified."
Ace nodded. "But his reputation isn't."
Mike's eyes widened slightly. "You want to scare his investors."
Ace nodded once.
"Selective truth," Ace said. "Perfectly timed."
Fight #681Opponent: Investor confidenceStatus: Undermining
The First Crack
By evening, an anonymous analyst report surfaced.
Not accusatory.
Just… curious.
Questions about Hale Strategic Capital's exposure.Notes about regulatory overlap.Concerns about governance opacity.
Victor Hale read it twice.
Then a third time.
"Who released this?" he asked.
His counsel hesitated.
"We don't know."
Hale's jaw tightened.
Fight #694Opponent: Information controlStatus: Slipping
Collateral Damage
The next day, one of Hale's minor partners pulled funding.
Another asked for clarification.
Nothing dramatic.
But Hale noticed.
Meanwhile, Ace was calm.
Too calm.
Evelyn Vale watched him that night over dinner.
"You're quieter than usual," she said.
Ace nodded. "I'm thinking."
"That sounds dangerous."
Ace allowed a small smile. "For someone."
Fight #701Opponent: Emotional distractionStatus: Managed