London. The offices of Hales Private Partners.

Isabella sat on the sofa by the window, swiping through her tablet.

On it, every move by the European financial institutions that dealt with the Hyundo Group was laid out in order.

The risk review that had started in London had spread to Frankfurt and Zurich.

Some insurers had asked again for data on their exposure to Hyundo Construction and its overseas subsidiaries.

No one had cut off business. No one had called in a loan.

They'd simply started taking a second look.

Rechecking numbers they'd always trusted and waved through, asking whether existing limits were appropriate, quietly lifting the corner on collateral terms — that was all.

For a company, even that was a change worth worrying about.

"Hmm~"

Isabella scrolled down the screen and smiled mischievously.

"Think my feelings got through to him?"

It was no grand attack. All she'd done was drop a few words into Hales' financial network and boutique lines.

With the Hyundo Construction issue growing in Korea, it might be wise to take another look at related deals!

Financial institutions were more skittish than people thought.

No one even had to shout that something was dangerous.

If someone they usually trusted quietly suggested they check something, the internal risk team would move.

When one firm played it safe, the one next door went looking for a reason.

That was how money moved: eyeing everyone else, looking for a new home.

"Bear~"

Isabella said his name as if talking to herself.

"You'll accept a little gift like this, won't you?"

She hadn't asked Ha Tae-ung's permission. Nor had he come to her for help.

So she'd stayed within bounds. She hadn't hit Hyundo directly, and she hadn't pressured anyone to cut off dealings.

She'd only made people take a second look at Hyundo.

That was enough. Her finger stopped mid-swipe.

"Hm?"

Some of the moves overlapped. Two financial institutions, one Swiss and one German, and one insurer tied to Eisenberg.

The timing of their Hyundo reviews was oddly similar. Isabella zoomed in on the screen.

She opened a…