Power has a radius.
Ace Charles had just crossed it.
The Call from Overseas
It came at 4:12 a.m.
Donna didn't wake Ace.
She knew better.
Ace answered on the second ring.
"Mr. Charles," said the accented voice, smooth and careful. "My name is Lucien Moreau."
Ace sat up.
"I know who you are," Ace replied.
Founder of Moreau Global Holdings.Sovereign-adjacent capital.Invisible ownership across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Lucien Moreau never called anyone personally.
"Then you know," Lucien continued, "that I don't involve myself in regional disputes."
Ace's golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"And yet," Ace said, "here you are."
Fight #1,482Opponent: Global attentionStatus: Acquired
The Warning Disguised as Courtesy
Lucien's tone was almost pleasant.
"You destabilized capital structures connected to my interests," he said."Victor Hale was… inefficient. But he was useful."
Ace stood and walked toward the window.
"Then you should be thanking me," Ace replied calmly. "I removed dead weight."
Silence followed.
Then Lucien laughed softly.
"You are direct," he said. "I like that."
Ace didn't respond.
Lucien continued, "Stay within your borders, Mr. Charles. The world is… layered."
Ace's voice was quiet.
"So am I."
The line went dead.
Fight #1,497Opponent: Soft global intimidationStatus: Rejected
Emergency Briefing
By sunrise, the firm was assembled.
Harvey leaned forward. "Moreau isn't a hedge fund."
"No," Ace replied. "He's an ecosystem."
Louis swallowed. "You don't fight ecosystems."
Ace met his gaze.
"You isolate them."
Fight #1,511Opponent: Scale disparityStatus: Challenged
The Threat Map
Katrina projected the data.
Shell companies.Sovereign funds.Arbitration courts.
"He doesn't sue," Katrina said. "He strangles."
Mike frowned. "And he never appears directly."
Ace nodded.
"Which means," Ace said, "he believes himself untouchable."
Ace turned to Donna.
"Find me his vulnerabilities."
Donna hesitated. "There aren't many."
Ace replied evenly, "There are always some."
Fight #1,526Opponent: Invisible enemyStatus: Identified
Ace Makes the First Move
Ace didn't respond publicly.
He didn't threaten.
He quietly filed motions.
London.Zurich.Singapore.
Challenging arbitration clauses Moreau depended on.
Louis stared at the filings. "You're forcing him into the open."
Ace nodded. "Global power hates daylight."
Fight #1,542Opponent: Financial opacityStatus: Disrupted
End of Chapter 26
By nightfall, the world's quietest empire noticed something new.
Resistance.
And Ace Charles had just introduced himself properly.