At the luxury mansion of the Volkov family, laughter suddenly fills the grand hall."What a funny joke," I exclaim, unable to hold back. "Just a village with Eden? Hasn't Natasha already conquered the whole town of Kirov for the Volkovs?"Yulia chuckles heartily beside me. "It is my Kirov town, if you don’t know" she boasts confidently. "The butler is one of my people, and he's the one who truly took over the town.""Yulia is right," Denis Volkov, her father, affirms with a nod. "The town of Kirov was conquered by the butler on our side. So it is our Kirov Town now."Peter Volkov, Natasha’s father and often seen as the weaker link, turns to old Maxim, and speaks in a low voice, tinged with concern. "Father, the butler has been with us for ten years. He merely accompanied Natasha to Kirov. Then Natasha returned here because someone had sent a report to the Mercenaries. The Kirov Town is Natasha achievement.""What are you talking about, Peter!" Denis interrupts, his voice raising in ir

In the heart of Eden Country, the Democratic Party has just announced their candidate for the upcoming presidential election—Travis Clinton.According to recent polls, he leads with 35%, followed closely by Howard from the Liberal Party at 30%, and the incumbent, Alex, trailing with 29%.Travis stands in his lavish mansion, a broad smile stretching across his face. The grand room buzzes with a flurry of politicians, ministers, and affluent businessmen gathered to support his campaign.Their laughter and spirited discussions fill the air, blending with the rich aroma of expensive cigars and the clink of fine crystal glasses.He laughs heartily and declares, "I will win the presidential election, don't you worry. When I am at the top, I will give you all the positions you want!”“Alex's time has gone; he is a damn dictator, an ugly and poor man who only uses the military to maintain his regime. Together, we can bring him down!” Travis proclaims, his voice booming with confidence and a h

“How dare you do this at the Volkov meeting!” Denis, Yulia's father, yells at me.I laugh. “Why shouldn’t I dare? I even dare to ask you to bet your Volkov family head on my wife!”Grandma Volkov quickly intervenes, “Whatever you say, you will never have the head of Volkov while I am still alive. I will give it to Jeremy Volkov, the oldest grandson, the big brother of Yulia.”“Really?” I retort. “What wonderful news. Then why not kick Natasha out of the Volkov family since The Eden Group will join with her to conquer three cities in the next three months.”“What?” Old Maxim is shocked.“She can make her own family, while you old Volkovs can have anyone you like as your head. Just don’t beg Natasha to share the Eden Group connections later.”“Hahahaha…” A man walks in; it's Jeremy Volkov. “Do you think it’s easy to get a connection with the Eden Group? Even the Rostov family, much better than us, got kicked out. What do you think of Natasha Volkov, is she better than the Rostovs?”Yuli

"Who wants to beg to you?" Denis yells arrogantly. “Get out of here.” Yet, the next three hours, his eyes are glued to the television, disbelief etched on his face as he watches the Eden Group announcement.Natasha appears on the screen with Sariel. They are live with a minister from the Soviet Union."People of the Soviet," says the Minister of Defense. "The Eden Group will officially help us in destroying all the beasts. We have agreed to give them the freedom to choose which city they want to raid, with the agreement that the government will still own 20% of it."The television announcement continues, Sariel chimes in, "We have also chosen Natasha Kingsley as the sole representative of the Eden Group. She and her husband will own 40% of the city, while the Eden Group will provide everything for the safety of the citizens and will have the other 40%. I wish, with this arrangement, everyone can be happy."People start to celebrate when a big group like Eden, which already owns their

At the Evening at the Volkov Family.I hate being here, but Natasha drags me along."Please, Alex, accompany me. They've been calling me nonstop for the past two weeks.""You could just block them," I say."I tried, but it didn't work. My father and mother wait for me outside our house every day. You wouldn't believe what they say to our neighbors.""What do they say?" I ask, curious."They say I'm like a peanut forgetting its shell. They claim they raised me well, but now that I'm wealthy, I've forgotten them. They spread all kinds of cruel rumors among the elite. I can't stand hearing these hurtful things anymore."I sigh, knowing that people who don't know the fact will likely believe the rumors."Will you let me do the talking?" I offer."Please," Natasha says. "I don't want to talk to them. I still feel hurt by them."Together, we step into the grand hall, the walls adorned with family portraits and antique decor.Old Maxim, the Volkov grandmother, sits regally in her chair. Deni