CHAPTER 312 The luxury reception of the Olympia Conference Hall was bustling with high powered attendees in tailored suits and designer gowns, sipping champagne and bragging about their affiliations with Lord Ercole’s empire. Luca stepped in quietly. No guards. No assistants. No media frenzy. Just him in his clean cut black suit. He approached the front desk where two staff members, dressed in white and gold uniforms, were busy scanning invite cards. “Name and invitation card, please,” one of them said, without even looking up. “I don’t have one,” Luca replied calmly. That made them pause. The second receptionist looked up with a raised brow and quickly scanned his plain appearance. No flashy jewelry. No signet. No entourage. The receptionist shot Luca a dismissive look, her tone sharp and cutting. “No card, no entry, sir. This is a closed-door event for top-tier shareholders and executives. You must be lost.” Luca’s smile was unshaken. “I’m not lost. I’m exactly where I need

CHAPTER 314 He paused, then suddenly leaned back. “The only man I ever feared in my life… is Lord Ercole. That’s it. That’s the bar. And unless you're him in disguise, I suggest you back off before I make a call and make your entire life vanish from every database that holds your name.” The threat hung heavy in the air, but Luca didn’t flinch. Connor leaned in again, “You know what I do to guys like you when they mouth off? I bury them in paperwork and lawsuits until they can’t even afford to breathe. My father once made a whole company vanish from the market in 72 hours because their CEO looked at him the wrong way. You want that? Huh?” He snapped his fingers at security, his arrogance now boiling over into something reckless. “Security! Get this clown out. He’s not on the list. No invite. No credentials. Probably snuck in here to beg for some low-level supplier contract. Look at him, he’s clearly a leech.” Luca finally opened his mouth. “Interesting logic—” “Shut up.” Connor’s

CHAPTER 316 Then, Luca gave a simple nod. “Let's get to work.” Applause didn’t erupt immediately. Instead, there was a strange moment of stillness. A collective intake of breath. Then a standing ovation followed, one earned not by theatrics, but by authority. Luca didn’t stay for the fanfare. He left the stage quietly and exited through the side hall and into the back where his car waited. He began to drive and cut down the winding road that led away from the Empire Hall. Past the steel towers and neon skyline. It felt good to be away from the noise. But something tugged at him. He suspected some cars were following him. They were not close enough to be suspicious at first. Then he made an unexpected turn that wasn’t on a route home, and the car behind him followed. He turned again. Slower this time, weaving through a quieter district, they still followed. Whoever it was, they weren’t trying to pass. They weren’t falling back either. They were tracking him. Floodlights from mul

CHAPTER 318 The four cars skidded to a stop in a half-circle around Luca's parked car and dust clouds rise into the air like smoke from a battlefield. The quietness of the secluded industrial zone seemed to hum with tension. The second Connor’s tires kissed the gravel, he kicked open his door and leapt out like a man possessed. His suit jacket flared behind him with his gold chain glinting and his designer shoes crunched against the stones. He was red-faced, furious and sweat glistened on his brow. His crew—twelve in total across the four cars—piled out behind him like hounds off the leash. They looked excited, pumped, armed with pipes, crowbars, and brass knuckles. “There you are, you little cockroach,” Connor spat, pacing forward with that obnoxious alpha swagger. “You actually stopped. Thought you’d keep running like the scared little errand boy you are.” Luca didn’t move. Didn’t flinch. Didn’t speak. He simply leaned against his car, calm with one leg crossed over the other,

CHAPTER 320 All the bikers, close to twenty of them, dropped from their iron horses in synchronized grace. Black helmets came off slowly, revealing hard faces, stern eyes, scars like stories carved into flesh. Leather jackets that bore a mark, the emblem of a coiled serpent wrapped around a crown. The Shadow Ups. An elite and merciless unit. Ghosts of Luca’s power. Known only in whispers. Connor’s men backed away trembling, the sight alone enough to rattle the boldest of them. But the Shadow Ups didn’t even acknowledge them. Their eyes were only on one man. Luca.. He stood still, calm as ever with one hand in his pocket, the other holding his phone loosely. As their leader, Drax, stepped forward. “Orders, sir?” Drax asked. His voice was deep, calm, and deadly still. Luca didn’t look at him right away. He looked at Connor instead. Connor, who moments ago had been spitting rage and now looked like a king stripped of his crown. His confidence wilted. His mouth worked silently. Luc