The news of Mr. Chen’s burial reaches me through Lydia. She’s still in China, handling the fallout, but her updates are frequent and detailed. I’m in my mansion, staring out at the city skyline, when my phone buzzes. It’s a message from Lydia: “Brianna’s missing.”My stomach drops. Justin’s family wouldn’t waste any time. They’ve made their move. I grab my coat and head out, my mind racing. If Justin has Brianna, he’ll force her to sign over her father’s assets. And if she resists… I don’t want to think about what they might do to her. Brianna sits in the back of a black van, her hands tied, her mouth gagged. The vehicle speeds through the city, the streets blurring past the windows. The ropes are too tight for her to battle against. The van pulls into an abandoned airfield on the outskirts of the city. Justin is waiting there, his face grim. He opens the van door and drags Brianna out, ignoring her muffled protests. He’s holding a stack of papers, his expression calm but men

I sit at the head of the table in the dimly lit room, my fingers steepled as I watch Lydia enter. She’s always composed, always in control, but tonight there’s a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. She knows something’s off. Good. She should.“Lydia,” I say, my voice calm but firm. “I want you to stop every plan for my public introduction. Indefinitely.”She freezes for a moment, her sharp eyes narrowing as she processes my words. “Sir, with all due respect, the public introduction is crucial to establishing your authority. The people need to see you, to know who’s leading them. Without that, your position remains vulnerable.”I lean back in my chair, my gaze steady. “I don’t need the spotlight to rule. In fact, I prefer the shadows. Let them wonder who’s pulling the strings. Let them fear the unseen hand. That’s where true power lies.”Lydia hesitates, her lips pressing into a thin line. She’s not used to being overruled, but she knows better than to argue. “And what about Brianna?”

The night air burns my lungs as I sprint through the perfectly manicured gardens of Justin’s estate, my heart pounding like a war drum. Eddy’s heavy footsteps echo behind me, steady and relentless. Shouts erupt from the guards, their flashlights slicing through the darkness, sweeping dangerously close. My grip tightens around the stolen documents proof of Justin’s corruption, his theft, his lies. But none of it matters if we don’t make it out alive. A bullet cracks through the air, striking the fountain beside us. Stone chips fly. No time to think. No time to hesitate. We just keep running."Left!" Eddy barks, shoving me toward a gap in the hedges just as a bullet whizzes past my ear. I don’t hesitate. I dive through the thick hedge, sharp thorns tearing at my arms, leaving stinging scratches in their wake. The adrenaline surges through me, but before I can turn to make sure Eddy is right behind me, a deafening crack splits the night. My heart lurches. I spin around just in time to

The morning sun slices through the heavy curtains of Brianna’s room, casting sharp golden lines across her tense face. Shadows dance over her furrowed brow, her lips pressed into a thin line. Before I can step past her, her hand shoots out, gripping my forearm with surprising force. Her fingers dig in, nails pressing just shy of breaking skin. “You can’t do this,” she whispers, voice tight with urgency. I meet her gaze, finding fear not for herself, but for me. The weight of our choices lingers between us, thick and suffocating. I swallow hard. “I don’t have a choice.”""You can’t just leave," she says, her voice trembling, raw with emotion. "Not after everything. Not without telling me who you really are." Her eyes search mine, desperate for answers. I hesitate, the truth heavy on my tongue. But saying it aloud could change everything. Maybe even destroy us.I peel her hand off me, one finger at a time. "It doesn’t matter." “It matters to me!” Her voice cracks, raw with something d

Lydia's eyes flash with anger, her jaw tightening as she glares at Justin. Her hand twitches at her side, fingers curling, the tension in her posture making it clear she is only moments away from lashing out. But then she hesitates. Her gaze shifts to me, and something in my smile calm, knowing, perhaps even amused makes her pause. The fire in her eyes dims just a fraction, uncertainty flickering across her face. She straightens, exhaling sharply, and lets her hand drop. Whatever she had planned, she decides against it. Instead, she huffs, turning away with a sharp toss of her hair.Instead, Lydia takes a slow, measured breath, visibly reining in her fury. Straightening her shoulders, she fixes Justin with a cold, predatory smile. The tension in the room thickens as she speaks, her voice deceptively smooth yet laced with venom. "Justin, I have to wonder," she muses, tilting her head slightly, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "Do you really think your father has your best interests