The game was rigged.
From day one.
And no one saw it coming.
While Horizon scrambled and flailed in the aftermath of their million-dollar collapse, while Tamara's poised ambition burned down into boardroom ash, and Evan's cowardice swallowed him whole — Darren Steele stood still.
Because everything… had gone exactly as planned.
And it all began with the Weekly Quest's reward.
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The system reward came quietly. After Darren had invested the first $65,000 venture on NeuraNest, the system had chimed.
Ding!
┏You've completed the Weekly Quest, Strong Start: Strong Start: Begin your first week strong by finding a hidden gem in poor startups and investing in them. Reward for this quest is high tier.┛
┏Reward: UCP – Unauthorized Copycat Protocol.┛
When Darren first saw the name, his brows furrowed. The reward shimmered in red, the color for high-tier rewards.
The name was weird, and everything about it seemed off. Unauthorized? Copycat?
