Chapter 359: After the Lights The ballroom lights dimmed slowly, the last echoes of applause fading into the glittering hush of evening elegance. The crowd had dispersed into small clusters some lingering around the champagne bar, others whispering in stunned awe near the media walls. The air was thick with disbelief, admiration… and a new respect that hadn’t been there before. Chris Brown stepped off the stage like a man who had just laid his past to rest. His face was composed. His shoulders straight. But inside? A storm raged. He didn’t look for her in the crowd. He didn’t need to. He felt her. Stephany. And she was coming. Each step she took echoed like a countdown. He turned slowly to face her, meeting her eyes across the polished marble floor, under chandeliers that suddenly seemed too bright. Her heels clicked to a stop three feet in front of him. She didn’t speak at first. Didn’t blink. She just looked at him like she was seeing a ghost. No… like she was seei

Chapter 360: The Breaking Point It’s the next day after Chris presented himself to the world in his full glory, the media has carried the news both far and near and the Preston’s were still in shock of the revelation. The Preston boardroom was unusually quiet that morning. Sunlight filtered through the tall glass windows, casting golden stripes across the dark mahogany table. The chairs were all filled—executives, advisors, partners from subsidiaries. But one seat at the head of the table remained empty. Stephany’s seat. Eleanor sat in her usual place, fingers steepled, a slight crease in her brow. She glanced at her watch again. Still no word. Still no daughter. Still no leadership. It had been two days since the gala. Two days since the world discovered that Chris Brown—the quiet son-in-law they mocked—was actually the president of MTD and the force behind Sterling Heritage. Two days since Stephany had vanished. “She’s taking time to think,” Eleanor said qui

Chapter 362; The Summoning The roads blurred as Chris obeyed, his hands firm on the wheel though they no longer felt like his own. Each turn he took felt pre-determined, like the very city had been carved for this detour—a route pulled out of time and logic. Street signs began to fade into smoke. The sky above blackened, even though it was early evening. Then, the GPS on the dashboard flickered, glitched, then shut off entirely. His heart beat slower. Time seemed to still. Chris wasn’t just driving anymore. He was being summoned. The tires came to a halt in front of a crumbling cathedral at the edge of the old city—one that didn’t exist on any map. Stone gargoyles lined the archway, all facing forward except one. That one turned its head. Chris watched. Didn’t flinch. He stepped out of the car. The moment his foot touched the ground, the pressure vanished. His limbs were free, but the weight of what waited inside bore down on him heavier than ever. A cloaked figure sto

Chapter 364: The Empty Lobby, the Broken TrustThe hotel lobby was quiet. Too quiet. Stephany stepped out of the elevator, her gown changed for a smart blazer and dark jeans, something that screamed "business," though her heart was a mess of tangled emotions. Her eyes scanned the space immediately, searching for the one man she expected to see seated in that leather couch in the corner, waiting for her like he always did. But the couch was empty. So was every chair around it. Chris wasn’t there. A pang struck her chest—sharp, unfair, and filled with the bitter aftertaste of disappointment. He left? No note. No message. No text. After everything? The anger that had slowly begun to fade over the last few hours surged again, hot and jagged. She had cried, sulked, blamed him. But in that room, she had finally come to terms with the truth: Chris wasn’t the villain here. It was her father. Her gut had told her something was wrong when Sandra showed up just an hour earlier, eyes

Chapter 366: The Fall of Georgina Sterling Brown The boardroom at Brown Conglomerate Headquarters was so crowded and noisy as if it was never meant to hold silence. Today? It was loud with it. Georgina Sterling Brown stood at the head of the long obsidian table, lips painted, posture perfect. Her hair was pulled into its usual slick bun, not a strand out of place. She had always been a woman of poise. Power. Precision. But even power trembles when a man walks in with your signature as the sword. And Chris Brown had just walked in. He didn’t say a word at first. Just dropped a thick, leather-bound file onto the glossy table in front of her. It echoed. Georgina didn’t look down. Instead, she gave him a brittle smile. “What’s this? A peace offering?” Chris met her eyes calmly. “A receipt.” “Receipt?” She scoffed. “Of what, boy? I’ve given you nothing.” Chris didn’t blink. “That’s where you’re wrong.” He turned the file toward the rest of the board. “Ladies and