Chapter 480 Santorini Villa – Lana’s Call The cicadas buzzed in the lavender-drenched air outside the villa, but inside, Lana’s gold bracelets clinked sharply as she paced across the tile floor. One hand gripped her phone, the other gestured wildly as if trying to push the urgency through the signal. “Eric, you have to listen,” she said, her voice low but intense. “James isn’t paranoid—something’s moving under your feet and it’s not a glitch.” On the other end, thousands of miles away in London, Eric Wood stood in his dark-paneled study, the heavy curtains drawn shut against the waning afternoon light. A fountain pen clicked rhythmically in his hand as he stared at the ledger open on his desk, blank except for the margins scribbled with notes—Morris, Oslo node, Sterling? He sighed. “Lana, you realize what you’re suggesting? That Sterling, of all people, planted a virus in the core systems? It’s absurd.” “You said it yourself,” Lana snapped. “The Oslo breach wasn’t random. James t

Chapter 482: Tangles of Trust The Santorini sun hung low over the caldera, spilling gold across the villa’s whitewashed walls and the sparkling sea below. The terrace smelled of salt and citrus, but beneath the beauty, tension simmered. Ellen’s hand clutched the small black device, cold against her palm, and the folded note still trembled slightly. Her gaze, sharp and controlled, followed Theo as he moved along the stone path outside the villa, his black cap pulled low over his face. “Who was following us?” Ellen’s voice broke through the warm afternoon air, sharp and commanding. She stepped off the terrace, heels clicking against the tiles, her eyes locked on him. Her fingers twitched, brushing against the device in her bag as if it could give her the answers itself. Theo froze mid-step, the frown forming beneath his cap deepening. His hands fiddled with the strap of his bag, twisting it around nervously. “I… I don’t know,” he said finally, his voice low. “I saw a car, but it wa

Chapter 484: Whispers in the Hallway The afternoon sun slanted through the tall windows of EMC’s executive floor, casting long shadows across the polished marble. James walked with measured steps toward his office, a leather folder tucked under his arm. His face remained carefully neutral, but his mind was already processing the report Gregor had delivered that morning. *Williams Jesse made three unauthorized server access attempts last night. All blocked. All logged.* James turned the corner and nearly collided with Ana Davies. “Mr. Clarkson,” she said quickly, stepping back. Her cheeks flushed slightly. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t—” “It’s fine,” James said, his voice calm. He noticed the tension in her shoulders, the way her fingers gripped the folder she carried a little too tightly. “Are you alright?” Ana hesitated. For a moment, she looked like she wanted to say something, but then she simply nodded. “Yes, sir. Just… a long day.” James studied her briefly. He’d heard whispe

Chapter 486: Eyes Across the Ocean 2 Theo considered this carefully. “It’s possible. But it could also be unrelated to James entirely. The Wane family has always had enemies. This could be an old grudge, a competitor looking for leverage, or even something political related to your father’s campaign, Miss Princeton.” Ellen bit her lip. Her father, Jonathan Princeton, was running for president. He had powerful supporters, but he also had powerful enemies. The thought that someone might be targeting her to hurt his campaign made her stomach turn. “We need to contact home,” Lana said firmly. “We need to tell my father and James what’s happening.” “I already did,” Theo replied. “I sent an encrypted message to Mr. Ryan Wane this morning. He’s aware of the situation and is coordinating with security back in Emerald Falls.” “And James?” Lana asked. Theo’s expression softened slightly. “I haven’t contacted him directly. I thought it best to go through your father first, Miss Wane.

Chapter 488: Shadows in the East District 2 Williams absorbed this information, forcing his expression to remain neutral even as his mind calculated rapidly. Jack’s death actually worked in his favor, eliminating a potential rival turned betrayal and consolidating his control over what remained of Sasha’s organization. But he needed to handle this carefully, show strength and leadership while also acknowledging their loss. “You did the right thing,” Williams said finally, looking at each of them in turn. “Jack betrayed us to Scarface, anyway.” Dorian visibly relaxed, and Tom nodded with satisfaction. Even Kane’s stony expression softened slightly. Williams moved to the window overlooking the warehouse floor below, watching shadows move between crates. “Here’s what we know. Scarface took out four of our lieutenants and some of their men. He thinks we’re broken. He thinks we’ll either surrender our territory or fragment into smaller groups he can pick off one by one.” “He’s wro