Building The Strongest Family

Chapter 390: The Fall Of Titans

The mood in the boardroom was thick with tension, not excitement, but a heavy sense of dread.

Red holographic graphs flickered menacingly on the walls, casting unsettling shadows on the faces of the ten CEOs present. The silence was oppressive, filled only with unspoken worries about financial ruin, collapsing markets, alarms going off, and assets disappearing in real time.

This was Aetheris Medical Holdings, a cornerstone of one of the world’s most influential pharmaceutical empires.

Typically, every breath taken in this space felt transactional; today, however, it bore the weight of a funeral.

At the head of the sleek black glass table sat Darius Veyne, his formidable presence radiating coldness, his expression frozen.

His hands rested motionless on the table as his steely gray eyes absorbed the grim downward trends displayed before him.

"ONCURA..." he began, his voice low and gravelly yet commanding enough to pull everyone’s focus.

"Has eliminated eighty percent of our active product lines." His words landed with a heavy thud.

The holograms sprang to life again, showcasing eye-popping biotech graphs and market trends that were hard to process. In just hours, hundreds of trillions in value had been wiped out; entire divisions focused on treatments were left in shambles.

Lira Solmarr from NexGen BioSolutions leaped to her feet, her silver bob shimmering as she forcefully dropped her datapad onto the table. "Hospitals have canceled every major contract in Noctis and the Western Territories! Hundreds of billions in pending orders..gone!"

Panic tinged her voice, a sensation she hadn’t felt in years.

Rook Kael from Pandora Health Systems slammed his fist against the table, cracking his glass tumbler in the process.

His reflection trembled across the dark surface as he growled, "Government contracts. Military medtech renewals are all being taken over by Osborn Holdings without even letting us respond!"

His outburst echoed in the tense silence that followed.

Across from him sat Senna Voss, known for her icy command of rare disease monopolies. With arms crossed and piercing eyes scanning the room, she hissed, "They’ve turned this entire industry into a charity event. We’re the villains here. They sell hope while we provide life support, and now everyone is watching."

Darius gestured toward the holographic displays again. The visuals zoomed in on critical metrics: revenue losses, product recalls, and abandoned shipments.

"Look at this," he stated firmly. "Aetheris synthetic grafts are down 78% globally. NexGen neural serums have dropped by 64%. The trauma-care division of Pandora? Obliterated. BioVertex sales are completely stagnant, and Eclipse Therapeutics is facing liquidation threats across two continents."

With each shift in the projections, stock values plummeted in red, a stark reminder of their dire situation.

"Hundreds of trillions," muttered Talis Orin from BioVertex, his jaw quivering with anger. "Gone in just a week."

"They’ve taken control of the narrative," Senna spat bitterly. "Every media channel, every social feed. No one’s talking about GENEBANE anymore; they’re focused on Osborn."

Mira Hel, CEO of NovaMedica, leaned back with her trademark smile, though a calculating glint sparkled in her eyes.

"They didn’t just create a cure," she said softly. "They’ve built trust. And that’s not something we can buy."

The room fell silent; even the holograms seemed to dim. For these leaders, who were accustomed to wielding immense power through medicine, the thought of losing control was both unsettling and terrifying.

Darius leaned forward, hands tightly clasped, and let his voice turn frigid.

"This isn’t the first time we’ve encountered that name." The others looked up, all of them understanding the weight of his words.

"The AMHP-9 Emerald Rebirth Pod," Darius began, reminiscing about their past failure. "Do you recall that fiasco? Our hold on burn regeneration dropped by thirty percent in just half a year. And let’s not forget the VitaCore Emerald Liquid, the regenerative nanogel that almost wiped out NexGen’s stem-cell patents."

His eyes locked onto Lira Solmarr, who visibly flinched at the recollection. "We let that slide," Darius continued. "It just didn’t seem significant enough; it didn’t hit home. But this time..."

He pointed at the ONCURA graphs. "They’ve gone right for our core."

Talis Orin’s voice boomed in response. "We managed to survive because they were focused on luxury biotech. This isn’t about luxury anymore; it’s crucial for the entire medical landscape on Panterra!"

Darius grimly nodded. "ONCURA is going after the very foundation: viral cures, immunity boosters, nanite recovery,they’re making it all seem obsolete."

The CEO of Eclipse Therapeutics, Joran Dyre, finally spoke, his voice calm yet resonant. "We created this world; every syringe, every hospital, every cure came from us. And now, a single company has rewritten the rules."

Holograms sprang to life again, showcasing breaking news:

"ONCURA CURE SAVES MILLIONS."

"Osborn Holdings Becomes Global Symbol of Hope."

"Investors Pull Out From Pharma Stocks Following ONCURA Breakthrough."

Darius struck the table with his fist, instantly quieting the room. "Trillions are lost," he growled, his voice filled with fury.

"Our networks are bleeding while governments praise Osborn as if he were a saint! We’re being dismantled live on television!"

Lira shot back, "So what’s your plan, Darius? Sue them? Lobby the PHA? None of that will work! They’re untouchable at the moment!"

Talis gritted his teeth. "We cut off their supply lines. No one sells quantum-stabilized stem cells without our consent."

Darius shook his head. "They’ve already got their own. They’re independent and self-sufficient. We can’t starve them out."

Rook Kael snapped, "Then we bring them down! Control the media, twist the narrative, instill fear in the public about them."

Senna Voss retorted sharply. "No. If we do that now, we’ll come off as desperate. The PHA has validated their data. Any false claims, and we’ll be the ones in trouble."

Korin Veyd from VitaForge Labs, who had remained quiet until now, finally spoke up. "Then let’s drown them in legal paperwork. Through patent disputes, lawsuits, and court injunctions, they won’t be able to focus on curing anything if they’re mired in litigation."

Mira Hel raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "Korin, you forget; we already tried that with VitaCore. They thrive on courtroom battles, turning every case into free publicity."

Voices clashed as arguments flared up,some called for sabotage, others for espionage, and yet another for direct government intervention.

Darius observed silently, his reflection flickering on the table surface. Two hundred years of dominance were crumbling due to a single breakthrough. When the din finally quieted, he stood up.

His voice was measured and calm: "Enough."

The word cut through the chaos like a knife. Everyone froze. He took a moment to compose himself before continuing. "This isn’t about losing to a new competitor; it’s about losing to superior organization and strategy."

He activated another set of holograms that detailed their rival’s operations. "Their entire setup is streamlined: supply chains, logistics, distribution, media, all orchestrated by one mastermind: Arthur Osborn. That’s our true enemy."

The name hung in the air like a fog of dread. Mira’s smile faded, replaced by concern. "You mean... Osborn doesn’t think like us?"

"He doesn’t have to," Darius said firmly. "He’s beyond human now; he’s become a system."

Outside, the night skyline was illuminated by Osborn billboards, blue lights and gold logos gleaming like stars against the darkness.

Even within their stronghold of wealth and influence, that emblem taunted them.

Senna leaned forward, her voice low and fierce: "If we can’t outmatch him... then we destroy him.

Rook Kael nodded right away, his agreement clear. "I’m fully committed."

"Count me in too," Lira said with a determined look.

Mira Hel sighed softly, her eyes filled with curiosity. "You still don’t see the bigger picture. He’s not just playing; he’s changing the game as he goes."

"That’s why we need to change the rules ourselves," Darius countered.

He straightened up, locking eyes with everyone at the table. "We made it through AMHP-9. We got through VitaCore. But ONCURA..."

He let his words hang in the air for a moment, letting their significance settle in. "ONCURA has hit us hard."

Leaning in, he pressed his hands into the table. "If we don’t act now, we’ll be nothing but forgotten relics by the end of this month."

There was silence; no one challenged him.

Their reflections stared back, weary and filled with anger and despair. Once they had been powerful forces, now they felt like easy targets.

Darius raised his hand with conviction. "We’re establishing a council, a War Council. We’ll gather every resource, every connection, every favor we can find. Everything we have will be on the table."

As he shifted his gaze to the holograms hovering above them, he took in ONCURA’s sprawling influence, glowing like veins of light across Panterra.

He spoke softly, almost to himself, "We built this world. It’s time we show them who really holds the power."