Page 133 of Dating Goals
“Still so focused on the bartender,” Nero sighs. “I thought hockey players had better attention spans.”
“I’m not playing games, Nero.”
“But you are, Griffin. You’ve been playing since the moment you set foot in Switzerland.” She moves behind her desk and activates a holographic display. “Let me show you something interesting.”
She presses a button on the wall, and a hidden door slides open.
My heart pounds as I expect to see Anika, maybe bound or injured. Instead, it’s just another corridor.
She leads me into another room with a long glass table displaying 3D holograms of financial markets. People in minimalist black clothing analyze data streams flowing around them.
“For centuries, the elite have hoarded wealth through manipulation and exploitation,” Nero explains, waving her hand through the hologram, which ripples at her touch. “OMBRA is simply rebalancing the scales.”
“By stealing billions?” I ask.
“By reclaiming what was stolen first,” she corrects. “The funds from your little poker game are already working against corporate greed.”
I raise an eyebrow. “So you’re Robin Hood now?”
“More ambitious than that.” She smiles. “Robin Hood maintained the system while offering temporary relief. We’re dismantling it entirely.”
“So you’re the good guys? That’s why you kidnapped Anika?”
She smiles enigmatically. “A necessary step to bring you here. You should be flattered. Few outsiders ever see this facility.”
The tour continues. She shows me everything with the pride of a CEO giving a board presentation. It’s becoming clear she’s either recruiting me or planning to ensure I never leave to tell anyone about this place.
“You’ve been busy,” I say as we enter what appears to be her massive private office. Floor-to-ceiling windows reveal a breathtaking view of the Alps. “But you still haven’t told me where Anika is.”
Nero sits behind her desk, gesturing for me to take the chair opposite her. The guards remain at the door.
“Anika is safe,” she says.
“I want to see her,” I demand.
“And you will.” Nero leans forward. “But first, let’s discuss why you’re really here, Griffin.”
“I came for Anika.”
“Did you?” She tilts her head. “Or did you come because you recognized something in me? Something familiar?” She smiles. “We’re not so different, you and I.”
I almost laugh. “Pretty sure we’re completely different. I play hockey. You build secret lairs in mountains.”
“We both saw a broken system and chose to operate outside it,” she counters. “You left the NHL because the owners were corrupt. I operate outside of conventional finance for the same reason.”
“I didn’t leave the NHL,” I point out.
“Is that so?” She stands, walking to a cabinet where she pours two glasses of amber liquid. “You were willing to break rules, cheat at cards, all for what you believed was justice.”
She offers me a glass. I don’t take it.
“You’ll forgive me if I don’t drink anything you offer.”
“As you wish.” She takes a sip from one glass. “Though poisoning you would be terribly unimaginative, don’t you think?”
“I wouldn’t put it past you with that cliché villain act.”
“OMBRA isn’t just an organization, Griffin,” she explains, reclining back. Now I really do expect her to swivel in her chair petting a cat.
