Ethan’s boat sliced through the dark waters, the roar of the engine muted by the relentless night wind. His heart thundered with a singular purpose—rescue Lisa, end Dominic.Everything else—empire, reputation, vengeance—faded in the face of this final confrontation.Lisa was there, captive on a private island owned by one of The Serpent’s offshore shell companies. And Dominic had made the deadliest mistake of his life: he’d taken the one person Ethan would tear the world apart to save.Harris crouched at the bow, scanning the shoreline through night-vision goggles. “We’re close. Spotlights at ten o’clock. Probably the outer perimeter.”Ethan nodded, eyes fixed on the distant flickers. “The estate’s heavily guarded. We won’t get a second chance.”Mike, seated behind Ethan, gripped his rifle. “We land, go in silent, and eliminate resistance. Let’s not give them time to raise alarms.”Ethan felt a cold determination grip his core. No mercy tonight. His thoughts churned: I’ve let Dominic

Ethan’s grip tightened around the silver ring as he strode down the hospital corridor. The cold metal burned against his palm, as if whispering secrets he wasn’t ready to hear. His father—the man who had spent years shaping Ethan into a leader—had kept this from him.The Serpent was never meant to die.Those words from the note echoed in his head like a curse.Lisa kept pace beside him, her face tense. “Are you sure about this? Your father’s barely stable. Pushing him could make things worse.”Ethan’s eyes darkened. “I don’t have time to wait. He’s been hiding something, Lisa. And I need to know what.”Lisa exhaled sharply but didn’t argue. She knew Ethan well enough to recognize when he was beyond reason.Harris met them at the hospital room’s entrance, arms crossed. “Guards are stationed outside. No one’s coming in or out without clearance.”Ethan nodded, shoving open the door.Inside, the room was dimly lit, the steady beep-beep of the heart monitor the only sound cutting through t

Ethan sat in his private office, eyes locked on the illuminated screen of his laptop. A deep scowl creased his face as he scrolled through decades of financial transactions, each one confirming the truth he had desperately wanted to deny.His father had been funding The Serpent for years.Not just small sums—we’re talking billions. Hidden in offshore accounts. Funneled through shell companies. Tied to governments, illicit businesses, and war profiteering operations across the world.Lisa stood beside him, arms crossed, her face hard. “This isn’t just bad, Ethan. This is catastrophic.”Harris, pacing by the window, let out a low whistle. “No wonder they’re pissed. With Dominic gone, they lost their puppet and their funding. This isn’t just revenge—it’s financial war.”Ethan clenched his fists. His father had never prepared him for this kind of battle. He had spent his life protecting the Elliot empire, unaware that the wealth he was defending had been built on the backs of vipers.And

Ethan didn’t wait. The moment the masked bidder left the auction stage, he moved. His pulse thrummed with a deadly rhythm, his mind calculating every possibility. Whoever had just claimed his father’s life wasn’t just a player in the game—they were running it.Lisa’s voice crackled in his earpiece. “You’re going after them, aren’t you?”Ethan adjusted his cufflinks, already following the figure down a private corridor leading to the VIP lounge. “Would you expect anything less?”Harris, stationed near the entrance, let out a low whistle. “Careful, boss. This is a different breed of predator. The whole room bowed to them.”Ethan smirked. “Then let’s find out if they kneel just as easily.”The VIP section of the auction was a world of its own. Dimly lit, lined with velvet curtains and exotic fragrances, the air was thick with whispered deals and quiet threats.Ethan stepped inside. The masked figure was just ahead, their aura commanding. Two armed guards flanked the entrance, blocking hi

Ethan’s phone buzzed. A new video file.He didn’t hesitate. His fingers moved instinctively, opening the message as Lisa and Harris leaned in.The screen flickered to life—a dark, cold room.In the center, bound to a chair, was James Elliot.Ethan’s stomach twisted into a tight knot.His father’s once-powerful frame looked frail, battered. Wrists strapped to the armrests. Chest rising and falling in weak, uneven breaths.Then, a figure stepped into view.Celeste.She stood over James, elegant, calm—like a queen surveying a fallen empire.Her voice, soft and almost amused, filled the silence. “He was never supposed to lead.”Ethan’s grip on the phone tightened.Celeste knelt beside James, tucking a strand of silver hair behind his ear like a daughter comforting her father.“The Serpent chose me.”Ethan’s pulse hammered.Lisa whispered, “Ethan… don’t.”But he couldn’t look away.His father tried to speak, but Celeste pressed a finger to his lips.“Shh. It’s time to let go.”Then she pul