The Billionaire's Intern (Maya Thompson) novel Chapter 461

Chapter 202: The First Test-1

The silence lingered.

Not stunned-

Measured.

Damien’s gaze stayed on the man sitting across from him.

His face.

His voice.

His presence.

Perfectly replicated.

Not an imitation. Not even close.

Exact.

His eyes narrowed slightly-not in disbelief, but calculation.

Useful.

But Damien Blackwood was not a man who accepted anything at face value-no matter how impressive they appeared on the surface.

Because something like this wasn’t just useful-it was dangerous.

In the wrong hands, it wouldn’t just deceive-it would destroy. Identities could be stolen, trust could be manipulated, entire systems could collapse under something this precise, this flawless.

His gaze shifted briefly between the men wearing the masks, sharp and assessing.

Control. That was what mattered.

Not the technology itself-but the people behind it.

Because a tool like this demanded more than skill. It required absolute loyalty, discipline, and restraint. The kind that didn’t crack under pressure, didn’t waver when tested.

Anything less – Would be a liability.

Across from him, Ashcroft leaned back slowly, eyes still fixed on Cruz-on himself. His jaw

tightened, irritation flickering beneath the surface.

“…I don’t like it,” he said flatly.

Cruz tilted his head, the movement eerily identical. “You don’t have to.”

Ashcroft’s own voice answered him.

That did it.

Ashcroft leaned forward slightly, eyes sharpening. “Yeah,” he muttered. “That’s exactly the problem.”

Hudson remained silent, composed, still wearing Damien’s face like it belonged to him.

The tension began to rise again-

Until Damien moved.

Just a slight shift forward.

“Enough.”

One word.

And that was all it took.

The room settled instantly.

Ashcroft leaned back again, exhaling slowly through his nose. The tension didn’t fully leave him- but it folded back under control, where it belonged.

For now.

On the screen, Harper grinned, eyes practically sparkling.

“Okay… now that’s impressive.”

Her tone had shifted-less teasing, more admiration.

“With this?” she continued, gesturing slightly. “No one will question a thing.”

Not the PR employee.

But the Oyabun of the Takahashi Empire-the woman who now ruled one of the most powerful and dangerous dynasties in existence.

“If someone looks close enough,” she said slowly, “then it won’t matter what face you’re wearing.”

Hudson’s lips curved faintly. On Damien’s face, the expression carried a darker weight-sharper,

more dangerous than it should have been. It wasn’t just the mask. Hudson himself carried his own

kind of danger-far from some random soldier. He was lethal, born and built for this.

“Then they’re already a problem.”

Beside him, Cruz-wearing Ashcroft’s face-tilted his head slightly, his gaze darkening.

“And what better way to handle problems…”

A brief pause.

“…than to eliminate them.”

Harper nodded lightly. “Mmhmm… Snaggletooth and Nibble have been quite lonely lately. They could use some playmates.”

Monroe blinked. “I’m sorry-who?”

Cruz answered without hesitation. “Ms. Harper’s pets.”

A pause.

“Two great whites.”

The room went still.

“They’re housed near our main base,” he continued calmly. “The island operates off-grid-same

location where we run the Takahashi cyber intelligence network across North America.”

His tone remained even.

“The surrounding waters are secured with submerged reinforced barriers set deep enough that smaller marine life can pass through unnoticed. To anything larger…” he paused slightly, “it’s a closed perimeter.”