Page 122 of Knot Heirs: Serenity's Reign

She set down her glass with a decisive clink. "If we're doing this, we need to move immediately. Five days isn't much time to coordinate an operation of this scale."

"We've already begun," Darius stated, his commanding tone brooking no argument. "Lucian's people have been gathering intelligence on Society holdings for months. My lieutenants are positioned throughout the major cities. Ronan's distribution network gives us the perfect cover for moving our people into position."

"And my inheritance provides the perfect legitimate shield for the financial transfers we'll need to make," Serenity concluded, mind racing through the complex web of possibilities.

This was far beyond what she'd imagined when she'd discovered her Vale heritage just weeks ago. Yet somehow, it felt inevitable—as though her entire life had been preparing her for this moment, this decision, this alliance.

"If we fail..." she began.

"We won't," Darius cut in, his absolute certainty sending a shiver down her spine. "The Society has existed unchallenged for too long. They've grown complacent, confident in their power. We have the advantage of surprise and desperation."

"And we have something else they don't," Lucian added, his refined voice carrying an undercurrent of darkness. "We have legitimate reason to stand together. They're a collection of self-interested parties. We're becoming something more."

Serenity felt the weight of their gazes—three powerful Alphas looking to her not as a possession to be claimed, but asan essential part of their strength. The realization was both terrifying and exhilarating.

"Then we take them down," she said, surprising herself with the steel in her voice. "All of them."

"We'll need to move carefully but decisively," Serenity said, leaning forward as she sketched a rudimentary timeline on the notepad Ronan had provided. "We can use my father's shipping routes to position your men, Darius. Lucian's financial network gives us the ability to track and freeze assets simultaneously."

The air in the room felt charged with possibility and danger as the three Alphas considered her words. Ronan's eyes narrowed thoughtfully while Darius nodded, a predator recognizing a worthy strategy.

"The Society isn't expecting Vale assets to be fully integrated with ours yet," Lucian mused, amber eyes gleaming. "That gives us a blind spot to exploit. I can have my analysts create a shadow portfolio that appears compliant while we move the real assets underneath."

Darius cracked his knuckles. "My men can be ready in forty-eight hours. Less if we pull from European operations."

"No," Serenity countered, surprising even herself with her certainty. "We need Europe intact as our fallback. If we pull too many resources too quickly, they'll notice the shift. My father always maintained a specialized unit in Prague—retired military, extremely loyal. They're technically a security firm on the Vale payroll but operate more like private contractors."

The three Alphas exchanged glances, and Serenity fought the urge to shrink under their scrutiny. She wasn't some weak Omega to be dismissed.

"How do you know about the Prague unit?" Ronan questioned, his tone both suspicious and impressed.

"I spent the last three weeks memorizing every legitimate and illegitimate Vale holding before I approached any of you,"she replied coolly. "I'm not just a convenient Omega with an inheritance. I'm a financial strategist who understands exactly what she owns."

Lucian's lips curled into a slow smile. "Remind me never to play poker with you, darling."

"The Prague team would give us an unexpected advantage," Darius conceded, his initial resistance fading. "But coordinating them with my operations without exposing our intentions will be complicated."

"That's why we'll be using one of my father's old protocols," Serenity replied, tapping her pen against the paper. "Vacation packages. Your men need to enter the country as tourists, not operators. Marcus used travel agencies as fronts for years. The infrastructure is still there, just dormant."

The conversation continued for another hour, spiraling into increasingly detailed logistics. Serenity found herself at the center of it all, her MBA training and Vale instincts merging as she navigated between the Alphas' competing priorities and egos. When Darius and Ronan's voices rose over territorial concerns in the southwestern operations, she sliced through their argument with precision.

"Enough. Ronan takes point on distribution, Darius on manpower, Lucian on financial tracking. We compartmentalize to minimize exposure, but everyone gets full briefings. No one operates in the dark." She fixed each Alpha with a steady gaze. "We're not replicating the Society's mistakes. This only works if we actually trust each other."

Eventually, the intensity of the planning session ebbed. Ronan stepped out to make calls to his lieutenants, while Darius retreated to the corner to examine maps on his tablet. Serenity sank back into the plush couch, suddenly aware of the tension knotting her shoulders and the ache in her feet from standing for hours at the kitchen island where they'd spread out their plans.

Lucian materialized beside her, elegant as always despite the late hour. Without asking, he sat on the opposite end of the couch and gestured for her feet.

"May I?" he asked, his refined voice softened.

Too exhausted to maintain her usual defenses, Serenity nodded and placed her feet in his lap. His fingers were warm and strong as they worked into the arch of her left foot, finding pressure points she didn't even know existed.

"Jesus," she hissed, a mix of pain and relief washing through her.

"You've been standing in those heels all day," Lucian observed, his thumbs working methodical circles. "First at Vale Holdings, then here. Your body remembers even if your mind was elsewhere."

Serenity allowed her head to fall back against the cushions. "Is this how you seduce all your business partners, Blackthorn? Strategic foot massages?"

His laugh was quiet but genuine. "Only the exceptional ones who spend fourteen hours outmaneuvering society's most dangerous Alphas."

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