The room felt like the nerve center of a newly formed continent. It wasn’t the main War Room, but the private, soundproofed Strategic Planning Chamber—a minimalist space dominated by projection screens showing live financial data, geopolitical maps, and, most importantly, the complex legal flowcharts I had designed.

I stood beside Vladimir, dressed in professional, sharp clothes that felt like armor. My hands were steady on the control panel, but my stomach was a knot of apprehension. This ...