Gerald stood in the dimly lit corner of his study, the shadows stretching across his face as he pressed the phone to his ear. He listened to the ringing tone with a sense of urgency, his gaze fixed on the framed portrait on the wall across from him—his family’s legacy, built on power, secrets, and an unbreakable chain of dominance. But tonight, that chain felt disturbingly fragile.Finally, after a few rings, Denera’s voice came through. “Gerald,” she greeted, her tone mildly surprised. “We were just at Ethan’s house. What’s wrong?”Wasting no time, Gerald cut to the chase. “When I returned to my mansion, my guards informed me that while I was away, a group of masked men attacked the estate.” His voice was laced with frustration, though he kept it cool and controlled, a hallmark of his personality even under pressure.There was a brief silence on the other end before Denera finally spoke, her tone filled with disbelief. “Masked men? Are you serious?”“Deadly serious,” he replied shar
The sun was barely peeking through the morning clouds as Ethan Anderson sat alone in his high-rise office at the Majestic Skies building, the city skyline stretching far beneath him like a kingdom under his watch. The soft hum of his phone vibrated in his hand as he listened to Sandra on the other end. She was lighthearted and easygoing, a perfect counterbalance to his world of unending boardroom battles and masked threats.“Yes, I know it’s early,” Ethan said, his tone warm as he leaned back, momentarily forgetting the weight of the past few days. “But I wanted to hear your voice before the day took over.”Sandra laughed softly on the other end, her voice bringing a momentary calm. “Well, I’m glad to know I still make it to your priority list, Mr. Anderson,” she teased. “Are you doing okay? You’ve been... busy.”“More than busy,” Ethan admitted, a trace of weariness slipping into his tone. “But I manage.” Just then, the sound of his office door opening pulled his attention. He glan
Alex’s small makeshift room was dimly lit, the kind of light that cast shadows against the walls and sharpened the hard lines of his muscular frame. Sweat glistened on his skin as he moved through push-ups, each repetition a relentless rhythm against the cold concrete floor. His injuries were healed now—his ribs no longer ached with every breath, his bruised knuckles were no longer raw, and his body had regained the strength he once thought he’d lost forever.But as he pushed himself to his limit, a single thought replayed in his mind, rising above the pounding of his pulse and the burn in his muscles: *Laurel.* The need to find her was all-consuming, feeding the fire in his gut with each passing day. He clenched his teeth, thinking about how he had allowed himself to get caught up in Jason’s games. He didn’t trust Jason, and he never would. But finding Laurel had come with sacrifices—and his alliance with Jason was one of them. *If only there was another way.* And as he kept wo
The sunlight streamed through the towering glass windows of Majestic Skies, filling Ethan’s office with a morning glow that contrasted the tension simmering inside. Ethan leaned back in his high-backed leather chair, his fingers idly tapping the polished mahogany surface as he awaited the arrival of his two trusted allies. Moments later, Paul and Rachel entered, crossing the luxurious office floor with purposeful strides. Both of them looked sharp, with Rachel in a crisp black blazer and Paul in his usual tailored suit, each exuding the confident air of seasoned operatives.Ethan’s gaze flicked up, and he gestured for them to approach his desk. “What’s the update?”Rachel, always efficient and to the point, spoke first. “We’ve finished setting up the fake and misleading information for Mark Dave. He’ll be chasing shadows if he tries anything.”A faint smile curved on Ethan’s lips. “Good. And what about his movements?”Paul nodded, stepping forward. “I’ve taken extra security measure
The warm afternoon light filtered through Rhys’s office windows, casting long shadows over his neatly arranged desk. Papers and documents lay in careful stacks, along with a polished silver pen that he now twirled absentmindedly between his fingers. Rhys’s face was etched with focus, yet a tension lingered in his eyes—a storm hidden beneath his usual calm exterior. He was sifting through files when the office door swung open unexpectedly, breaking his concentration.“Sir, I’m so sorry,” his secretary stammered as she entered behind Denera. “I told her you didn’t want any disturbances.”Rhys met his secretary’s wide eyes and gave her a short nod. “It’s okay,” he said softly. “You can go.”As soon as the door closed behind her, Denera stepped further into the room, folding her arms with a knowing smirk. “One would think that your wife would be an exception to your ‘no disturbances’ rule,” she remarked, a touch of sarcasm lacing her voice.Rhys leaned back in his chair, crossing his
Jason sat in his office, staring at the mountain of documents and disarrayed files scattered across his desk. His hand hovered over a crumpled report, fingers twitching as he considered the sheer volume of chaos that had suddenly hit his empire. Five subsidiaries—five entire branches of his corporate network—taken down in a single, calculated sweep by Ethan. He expected Ethan to retaliate after their last clash, but he hadn’t anticipated such a brutal blow. Not like this.He pressed a hand against his forehead, feeling a bead of sweat trickling down his temple as he replayed the news he’d just received. Reports had flown in from various cities across the country, each one confirming the same disturbing pattern: each subsidiary crippled, some on the verge of total collapse. The coordinated nature of the attack left Jason struggling to find a foothold in the landslide of chaos. Ethan had not only outmaneuvered him but had done it with a precision and ruthlessness Jason had never s
Sandra's sleek black car rolled up to the monument site, the tires crunching against the gravel as she pulled to a stop. She sat there for a moment, her gaze lingering on the structure before her, the towering monument glistening under the morning sun. It had been a long while since she’d last visited this place, wrapped up as she was in the chaos of Jackson spying and watching her every move and the relentless threats from Sebastian lurking in the shadows. But today, she’d decided to take a break from the endless war room meetings and security briefings. Today, she was here to see the project that had consumed her life for many many months—the project that had changed everything.Stepping out of the car, Sandra brushed a loose strand of hair from her face, feeling a wave of nostalgia as she took in the towering structure. It wasn’t just a building; it was a testament to her vision, her grit. She walked slowly, letting her fingers trail along the cool stone, feeling the weight of
The heavy scent of sweat, blood, and smoke clung to the air in the dimly lit basement, where the faint, eerie hum of machinery mixed with the low moans of pain. The scene was grim and brutal, the room filled with battered, broken souls bound to chairs, some barely conscious, others steeled in silence. A few guards, all dressed in dark, tailored suits, moved like shadows through the room, cold efficiency marking their every move. Under dim lights, the figures sitting slumped in the chairs writhed, their faces contorted with a mixture of exhaustion and terror as another swing of a baton met flesh.In the corner, near an aging furnace that kept the room thick with stifling heat, sat Dante Moretti, the mafia boss himself. His back straight, hands folded on the table, he surveyed the room with a gaze as cold and calculating as a predator’s. Scars lined his face, each one telling a story of a life lived on the edge of a knife. He barely flinched at the sight before him; he’d seen worse and