Victor Kane had never been one for idle conversation, especially with journalists. They were often prying, opportunistic, and far too eager to dig into matters that didn’t concern them. So when he first encountered Madeline Sinclair—a fiery, ambitious journalist whose work was gaining rapid attention—he instinctively braced himself, ready to fend off the questions he knew would come. Yet, as she approached him, he found himself intrigued in spite of himself.The setting was a high-profile corporate event, one Victor had reluctantly attended to keep up appearances. The grand ballroom was buzzing with influential people, all vying for attention and eager to network. Victor was used to these scenes, the superficial smiles, the empty handshakes, and the way everyone hid their true intentions behind polite conversations. He had nearly managed to slip away when he noticed her.Madeline Sinclair. He’d seen her name in the press, known for her hard-hitting articles on corporate malfeasance an

The clink of champagne glasses echoed through the sleek boardroom as Ethan Brooks celebrated another quarterly victory at Grey & Brooks. His grin was confident, his voice booming as he addressed the firm’s partners.“We’ve weathered every storm, and the best is yet to come,” he declared, earning scattered applause.The moment shattered when Ethan’s assistant rushed in, face pale, and whispered in his ear. Ethan froze. The words replayed in his mind: Victor Kane has acquired a controlling stake.“Who the hell is Victor Kane?” he demanded, slamming his glass down. His assistant stammered, but no one had an answer.Hours later, Ethan sat across from his top advisors. The reports confirmed it: a shadowy figure had infiltrated his fortress. The stakes were unprecedented. “Find him,” Ethan barked. “I don’t care how much it costs.”Meanwhile, in a high-rise penthouse, Julian Grey—now Victor Kane—watched the news unfold with quiet satisfaction. The first blow had landed, and the game was unde

The Ruthless Game BeginsJulian Grey was dead. In his place stood Victor Kane—a man who moved through the world like a storm, shattering every obstacle in his path. The gala had been the first strike, but tonight, the real game began. Ethan and Eva’s empire was his target, and he would dismantle it piece by piece.Victor sat at the head of a glass conference table, Damian standing at his side. The room buzzed with tension as his team laid out their latest moves.“The takeover of Marlow & Co. finalized this morning,” one of his executives reported. “Their biggest client? Brooks & Whitman.”Victor’s lips curled into a faint smile. “Perfect. Leak the details to the press. Make it sound... messy.”The executive nodded, and Victor turned to Damian. “What about the offshore accounts?”“Handled,” Damian replied. “We’ve frozen half of them. Ethan will be scrambling to keep the lights on.”Victor leaned back in his chair, satisfaction flickering in his eyes. “Good. Let him squirm.”A Crack in

Ethan Brooks’ brow furrowed as he stared at the email on his screen. The third partner firm in two months had terminated their long-standing alliance. He slammed his fist on the desk, causing his assistant, Rachel, to jump.“Get me Andrews from Clarion Logistics now,” he barked.“They… they’ve been acquired, sir,” Rachel stammered. “By a subsidiary of Kane Industries.”Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “Victor Kane.”Victor’s fingerprints were invisible to most, but Ethan could sense the game afoot. What he didn’t know was how deep the roots ran. Through a web of proxies, Victor had systematically dismantled the relationships Ethan’s firm depended on.Across town, Victor sipped his espresso in a quiet café, his phone buzzing with updates from Damian.“Andrews caved,” Damian said.“Good,” Victor replied, his voice calm but resolute. “Start positioning for the next acquisition. We’ll keep tightening the vice until he has nowhere left to turn.”Ethan’s morning spiraled further when he walked into t

Julian sat at his desk, eyes flicking between a stack of documents and his laptop screen, the glow casting harsh shadows over his face. His mind raced as the pieces of a much bigger puzzle came together. Ethan and Eva hadn’t just betrayed him—they had orchestrated a full-scale campaign to destroy him. Every piece of evidence he uncovered was a blow to everything he’d believed about his former friends.Money laundering, shell companies, embezzled client funds—Ethan had plunged them into illegal territories he couldn’t ignore. And Eva? She wasn’t innocent either. Her family’s influence had hidden their tracks well, but Julian’s network had dug up the truth. She had been his accomplice, playing both sides, laundering money through covert channels.The documents in front of him weren’t just business transactions. They were the roadmap of a conspiracy that ran deeper than anything he’d ever imagined. The law firm that had been the foundation of his father’s legacy was now the heart of a cr