But as she raised the glass, the lights flickered. The TV turned on by itself. On the screen was a live feed of her own office—except it was empty, yet every drawer was open. Papers flew in circles.
A distorted voice, Julian's but layered with something ancient, echoed from the speakers: "You wanted magic, Ava? Abracadabra." Ava Max Business Is Business Rough Lyrics Abrac...
"No," she whispered, leaning in. Her voice dropped to a rough, almost metallic rasp—the "rough lyrics" of her soul. "Business is business. You either eat the egg or you crack the shell. Today? I'm hungry." But as she raised the glass, the lights flickered
"That's not business," Julian said, paling. "That's black magic." But as she raised the glass
"Business is business. Lesson learned. New game starts now."
Her stock portfolio? Abracadabra. Gone. A glitch wiped it clean.