Codename Black: Rise of the Fallen Commander

4D Chess

Victoria’s eyes lit up as she leaned forward, her voice brimming with excitement. "Mr. Heinrich Lancastriel... he’s not just any businessman, Alex. He’s one of the most powerful men in the country. His company, Helix Dynamics, is legendary—practically an empire. They control everything from energy and cutting-edge technology to military contracts."

Alex leaned back, his lips twitching as he fought back a smile. He knew far more about Heinrich Lancastriel than he let on, but hearing her describe it from her perspective, with such awe, was... well, adorable.

“Helix Dynamics,” she continued, her hands gesturing animatedly as she painted a picture in the air. “It’s like something out of a sci-fi novel. Their headquarters is a marvel, all gleaming glass and steel, with advanced tech that feels like it’s from the future. Entire governments rely on them for technological support. Heinrich is responsible for every major breakthrough in the last decade—military drones, renewable energy systems that no one else has been able to replicate. And then there’s the secretive side of it all. Helix Black… they say it’s his private division. Rumor has it they handle top-tier operations, the kind even the government can’t officially acknowledge."

Alex nodded, impressed by how much she knew, though he was well aware she was only scratching the surface of the company’s true power. But watching her try to piece it all together was more entertaining than he’d expected.

"But that’s what I don’t get," she said, her brow furrowing slightly. "Why would someone like Heinrich Lancastriel care about someone like me? My family isn’t even important enough to be on his radar."

Alex couldn’t help the chuckle that nearly escaped him. He masked it quickly, pretending to consider her words seriously. "Hmm, interesting thought."

"Unless..." she said, trailing off.

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Unless what?"

Victoria bit her lip, hesitant at first, but then the idea seemed to take root in her mind. "Unless it’s not Heinrich himself… maybe it’s his son?"

That did it. Alex struggled to contain his amusement, his broad shoulders shaking slightly with suppressed laughter.

"I mean, think about it!" she continued, her voice picking up with enthusiasm. "What if Heinrich’s son took an interest in me? That would explain why they’re helping. Maybe he heard about my situation, and since he has all the means to step in… he decided to save me! It makes sense, right?"

Alex’s lips twitched again, but this time a soft chuckle escaped him. He leaned forward, thoroughly entertained. "So, let me get this straight. You think Heinrich’s son, who you’ve never met, swooped in to save you from Dorian because… what? He’s secretly fallen for you?"

Victoria blinked, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Well, when you say it like that, it sounds crazy, but… yes! Maybe it’s not that impossible. He’s probably heard about me through some connection, or maybe he just…"

She trailed off, her eyes catching the amused gleam in Alex’s expression. That’s when it hit her. "Wait... you’re laughing at me, aren’t you?"

Alex let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "Not exactly laughing," he said, still grinning. "But the idea you’ve put together is... let’s just say, it’s far-fetched. But honestly, kind of adorable."

"Adorable?" she echoed. "I’m being serious!"

"I know, I know," Alex said, raising his hands in surrender. "But trust me, Victoria. Heinrich didn’t send his son to save you out of some secret romantic interest. Life doesn’t really work that way, especially not for someone like him. His reasons are probably a lot more... complicated."

Victoria pressed her lips into a thin line, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Well, then what do you think? Why did Heinrich Lancastriel help me?"

Alex’s playful demeanor softened into something more serious. "I don’t think it’s something you need to worry about right now. What matters is that he did help you, and whatever his reasons, you’ve gained a powerful ally. Just… don’t get too caught up trying to figure out the ‘why.’"

Victoria sighed, still looking uncertain. "I suppose you’re right… but it feels like there’s something bigger happening. Like I’m a pawn in some 4D chess game."

Alex’s expression darkened briefly. “If anyone’s going to be a queen in this game, it’s you. Remember that.”

Victoria’s heart swelled at his words, and she smiled softly. “Thanks, Alex… or should I say, ‘Knight’?”

Alex returned the grin. "‘My King’ works just fine."

***

As the laughter between them died down, Victoria clapped her hands together, excitement brimming in her voice. She began pacing around the room.

"But still, this changes everything!" she exclaimed, more to herself than to Alex. "If the Lancastriel family is backing me, I can finally break off the engagement with Dorian Blackwood! The Blackwood family is nothing compared to the Lancastriels. They won’t be able to force me to marry him now."

Alex watched her, his lips curling into a subtle grin. Her excitement was contagious, but he knew she was getting carried away. He needed to ground her before her optimism took her too far.

"Victoria," he said firmly, cutting through her thoughts. "I hate to burst your bubble, but no one from the Lancastriel family has shown any real personal interest in you."

Victoria froze in her tracks, turning to face him, confusion on her face. "What do you mean? Heinrich’s steward, Hawthorne, came to our house specifically for me! And he gave me Heinrich’s business card. Isn’t that proof enough?"

Alex shook his head slowly. "Hawthorne might have delivered a message, sure. But that doesn’t mean Heinrich Lancastriel or anyone in his family is personally invested in you. It could be purely business. A gesture of goodwill. Or maybe Heinrich has some other reason for stepping in, something we don’t fully understand yet. Assuming this means you’re under their protection is a pretty big leap."

"But… why would they help me if they didn’t care? Why go through the trouble?"

Alex sighed, softening his tone. "Victoria, powerful families like the Lancastriels don’t act on whims. Every move they make is calculated. Heinrich’s help could be part of some unseen agenda, but that doesn’t mean they’re involved in your personal life. There’s a big difference between offering support and being directly involved."

She bit her lip, frowning as she processed his words. "I didn’t think about it like that..."

Alex gave her a reassuring smile. "You’re not wrong to be hopeful, but you should also be cautious. Just because the Lancastriels helped you once doesn’t mean they’ll always be there to solve your problems."

For a moment, Victoria’s face fell, but then her expression shifted.

"You know what?" she said, her voice gaining confidence. "Everyone’s already confused about what’s going on. They’re scrambling for answers, and no one knows the truth except us, right?"

Alex narrowed his eyes slightly. "What are you getting at?"

Victoria’s voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper as she leaned in. "What if we use that to our advantage? Let them think I’ve caught the eye of Heinrich Lancastriel’s son."

There was a beat of silence. Alex stared at her, struggling to process her words. Finally, he let out an amused chuckle. "Victoria, there’s just one small problem with that plan."

"And what’s that?"

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Heinrich Lancastriel doesn’t have a son."

Victoria blinked, her excitement faltering. "He doesn’t?"

Alex shook his head. "Nope. He only has a daughter... Isabella."

Victoria frowned, her brow furrowing in disbelief. "But... that can’t be right. With an empire like Helix Dynamics, surely people would think he had an heir."

Alex crossed his arms. "You’re right about that. But it’s common knowledge that Isabella’s his only child."

Suspicion flickered in Victoria’s eyes. "How do you know that?"

Alex’s expression tightened briefly before he shrugged, his gaze shifting away. "News."

"Right..." Victoria nodded, though her curiosity hadn’t entirely been satisfied.

"Besides," Alex continued after a beat, "even if people were suspicious, anyone who knows the Lancastriels would easily see through a bluff like that."

Victoria let out a frustrated groan, collapsing back onto the couch. "So much for that plan…" She rubbed her temples, feeling the weight of her situation pressing down again.

Alex watched her, a soft smile tugging at his lips. "Nice try, though. You’re thinking in the right direction. Using what people don’t know to your advantage is smart. But you need to base it on something they can’t easily disprove."

Victoria sighed. "I just thought… if Dorian and my family thought someone as powerful as the Lancastriels were interested in me, they’d leave me alone. Or at least think twice before forcing me into anything."

Alex nodded, his voice gentle. "You’re not wrong. If they thought you had a more powerful ally, they’d definitely back off. But we’ll need to come up with something more grounded. The last thing you want is for a lie to unravel right when you need it to hold."

Victoria’s brow furrowed again, the wheels in her mind turning once more. "Maybe there’s another way to make them second-guess their plans..."

Suddenly, her eyes lit up again, though this time with a clearer, sharper glint. She sat up straighter, clearly on the verge of a new idea.

“Wait... what if,” she began, excitement building in her voice, “what if we find someone to play the part? A temporary actor. Someone who could pretend to be Mr. Heinrich’s adopted son. Someone with the confidence and authority to make it believable. Just long enough to throw Dorian and my family off balance.”

Alex stared at her, stunned. "You’re joking, right?"

Victoria shook her head. "No! Think about it. It’s perfect. No one would expect it, and if we make it look convincing enough, it could scare Dorian into backing off. Even my family would stop forcing this engagement on me."

“Victoria, that’s insane. You can’t just manufacture a person out of thin air.”

She waved him off. “People do it all the time! A few well-placed stories, a little acting, and voila, an adopted son no one knew about suddenly appears.”

Alex leaned back, crossing his arms as if to brace himself. "Okay, so who exactly do you plan on hiring to pull this off? An actor? Some random guy off the street?"

Victoria hesitated for a beat, then looked him squarely in the eye. "You."