Three blocks away, the atmosphere was entirely different. The loft space William had rented for the launch of “Aegis Ventures” was bright, filled with hydroponic plants and unpolished wood.
William stood at the podium. There were no teleprompters, no prepared statements written by a crisis management team. Just him.
“For ten years, my last name has been synonymous with acquisition,” William told the gathered press. “We bought. We stripped. We sold. That was the Croft way.”
He looked out at the audience. He didn’t feel the crushing weight of Alistair’s shadow for the first time in his life. He felt… light.
“Aegis is different,” William continued, his voice resonating with genuine passion. “We aren’t looking for companies to exploit. We are looking for ideas to protect. We are funding sustainable energy, ethical AI, and medical technologies that heal rather than profit from sickness. This isn’t about the next quarter. It’s about the next century.”
Cameras flashed. William smiled, and it wasn’t the practiced grimace of the “White Knight” saving a damsel. It was the smile of a builder laying his own foundation.