The boardroom at the Vista Land headquarters was a blend of luxury and practicality, befitting the empire built by Manny Villar, the billionaire who had transformed his family's real estate business into one of the most formidable conglomerates in the Philippines. But today, the room was not just a space for planning new projects or reviewing quarterly profits; it was a war room. The biggest names in Philippine business had been summoned for an urgent meeting.
Villar sat at the head of the table, his expression as serious as the gravity of the situation demanded. Around him were the leaders of the country's most powerful corporations, all of whom had felt the impact of Reyes Corporation's meteoric rise. Ayala Corporation's Jaime Zobel de Ayala, SM Investments Corporation's Henry Sy Jr., JG Summit's Lance Gokongwei, and PLDT's Manuel V. Pangilinan were among those present.