Chapter 69: A Gentle Warning
Philip sat behind the sleek glass desk of his private office, fingers drumming against a printed financial report. The sunlight filtered through the large windows, casting shifting shadows across the room. The smell of polished wood and faint coffee lingered in the air. Everything looked just like he'd left it—but he wasn't naïve enough to think nothing had changed.
A soft knock on the door broke his thoughts.
"Come in."
The door opened smoothly. Chidozie strolled in, dressed in a tailored navy suit, casual confidence etched into every step. He wore his usual smug half-smile, like nothing was wrong, like he hadn't spent the last three years slowly replacing Philip's staff and redirecting key assets.
"Philip," Chidozie said smoothly, arms open in mock welcome. "You're alive. Look at you—still wearing plain clothes like you didn't just rise from the grave."
Philip smiled faintly. "Chidozie."
They exchanged a handshake—polite, firm, but cold.
Chidozie sat opposite him without being offered a seat. "You know, when you disappeared, the board almost tore itself apart. People thought the company would collapse. But I did my best to hold things together."
"Yes," Philip said, eyes flicking toward a nearby folder. "I noticed your efforts. Especially the part where you hired an unusually high number of awakened staff."
Chidozie's smile tightened just a bit. "You know how it is. Competition's fierce these days. You need people who can think fast. Move faster. But I'm sure you'll appreciate how profitable we've become under that strategy."
Philip's expression didn't change. "I appreciate loyalty more."
There was a long pause. Then Chidozie leaned forward slightly, voice dropping an octave.
"This is your company, Philip. No one questions that. But times have changed. There are people who won't just bow because you walked back through the door. You're going to need strong allies. Or things might get... complicated."
Philip's fingers stilled. For a moment, silence hung between them. Then he leaned back in his chair, eyes suddenly sharper.
He extended a fraction of his will.
Scan.
A thread of soul sense slipped through Chidozie's aura, probing. What he found made him laugh—softly, but with clear amusement.
"Commander level?" Philip said aloud, smiling. "You've been acting this bold with just that?"
Chidozie blinked. "What?"
Philip stood, calm and unhurried, then released a sliver of his Sage Aura.
The room shifted.
The air turned heavy, dense, suffocating.
Chidozie gasped. His throat clenched like a phantom hand had gripped it tight. He clawed at his collar, struggling to breathe. His knees buckled slightly, eyes wide in pure horror.
He looked up at Philip, who was calmly watching him, as if observing an insect caught in a jar.
"You were saying something… about complications?" Philip said, his voice laced with casual menace.
The aura vanished.
Chidozie collapsed back into the chair, coughing violently, dragging in desperate gulps of air. Sweat clung to his forehead as he looked at Philip with trembling lips.
Philip turned and walked to the window, his tone casual again. "This is still my company. You may have played king while I was gone, Chidozie… but you were never the emperor."
Chidozie stood abruptly, nearly tripping over his chair, and rushed out of the office without another word.
Philip didn't turn around.
He just watched the skyline, eyes glowing faintly, already planning what came next.