The first thing Silas Thorne noticed when he entered his private suite that Tuesday was not the view of the harbor, not the stack of high-stakes contracts waiting for his signature, and not the receptionist who usually managed his schedule with military precision.

Silas didn't take them to his townhouse. He took them to the Glass Bastion, a tri-level penthouse perched atop a residential spire that he owned through a shell corporation. No one at Thorne Global knew it existed.

The private elevator doors opened into a sprawling, sterile space of white marble and panoramic windows showcasing the New York skyline.

Elias and Tobias stepped out cautiously. Their boots squeaked on the pristine stone.

"Is this your house?" Tobias asked, his voice echoing in the massive, empty room.

"It is now," Silas said.

He pulled out a burner phone he kept for emergencies and dialed his head of private security, a former Navy SEAL named Mercer.

"Mercer. I need a ghost team at the secondary location. Full lockdown. No digital footprint," Silas ordered.

"Consider it done, boss. What's the package?"

Silas looked at the twins, who were currently staring at a five-million-dollar modern art sculpture as if it were a jungle gym. "Two hostiles. Under four feet tall. They require... entertainment, I presume. Bring clothes. Toys. And a pediatrician."

By nightfall, the sterile penthouse had been transformed. Mercer's team had secured the perimeter, sweeping for bugs and establishing a heavily armed perimeter. A bewildering array of children's clothing, action figures, and coloring books now littered the custom Italian leather sofa.

Silas sat at the kitchen island, nursing a glass of scotch, watching them.

Elias was meticulously assembling a complex Lego set, while Tobias was drawing on a piece of high-grade printer paper.

Silas walked over to Tobias. The boy had drawn a tall building, a stick figure with a briefcase, and two smaller stick figures. But looming over the building was a massive, dark shadow with red eyes.

"What is that?" Silas asked softly, pointing to the shadow.