Zen got back to his mansion at two in the morning. The place was quiet, security doing their rounds outside, but inside it felt empty. It always felt empty.He climbed the stairs to the second floor, past his own bedroom, and stopped at the door he rarely opened. Tom's room. He'd kept it exactly the way it was when his brother died, like some kind of shrine to a life cut short.The room smelled like dust and old cologne. Tom's clothes still hung in the closet. His books were still stacked on the nightstand. Everything waiting for someone who would never come home.Zen sat on the bed and pulled out the necklace box. In the dim light from the hallway, the emeralds looked black."Sorry, brother," he said to the empty room. "This got a lot more complicated."He'd come here to think, but seeing Felicia's photo had stirred up memories he'd tried to bury. Tom talking about some girl from college. Tom crying in his room after phone calls. Tom getting drunk and rambling about love and family a

Zen's private conference room was on the top floor of Mega Tower, with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the entire city. He'd chosen this room specifically because it reminded him that he now had the high ground.By seven o'clock, his inner circle was assembled around the glass table. Keisha with her laptop and files. Sinclair with his security reports. Williams from legal, Brooks from intelligence, and Martinez from finance. The people who really ran Mega while Zen played the public role."Thank you all for coming on short notice," Zen said, taking his seat at the head of the table. "What I'm about to tell you doesn't leave this room. Anyone who has a problem with that can leave now."No one moved."Good." He activated the room's privacy systems – white noise generators, signal jammers, the works. "We have a problem. Several problems, actually."He gestured to Keisha, who pulled up a presentation on the wall screen."Three days ago, we uncovered evidence that my brother's dea

The next morning, Zen was in his office reviewing Felicia's evidence files.His phone buzzed. A text from Felicia: "Emergency. My father knows. Need to meet now."Zen grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. If Felicia's cover was blown, they might be out of time.Twenty minutes later, he was back at her penthouse. She opened the door before he could knock, looking terrified."He knows," she said immediately. "My father knows I've been accessing his files.""How do you know?""Because he confronted me this morning. Asked me directly if I'd been going through his private documents.""What did you tell him?""I lied. Said I was just curious about some old business deals. But he didn't believe me."She led him into the living room, where all her research materials had been hastily shoved into boxes."I've been packing everything up. If he decides to search my apartment...""Where are you going to take it?""I don't know. Somewhere safe."Zen thought quickly. "My place. I have secure s

The next morning, Zen was in his office at Mega reviewing security arrangements for the gala when his assistant buzzed in."Mr. Diel, your ex-wife is here to see you. She says it's urgent."Zen looked up from his papers. Malia showing up unannounced was never a good sign, especially not three days before he was planning to destroy her mother."Send her in."Malia walked into his office like she owned the place, wearing a designer suit that probably cost more than most people's monthly salary. But there was something different about her demeanor – less confident, more desperate."Hello, Tom.""Malia. To what do I owe the pleasure?"She sat down without being invited, crossing her legs and fixing him with a stare he remembered from their marriage. The look she used when she was trying to figure out if he was lying to her."We need to talk.""About what?""About your sudden transformation into a billionaire tech mogul. About your new girlfriend. About the questions you've been asking aro

The mansion went completely dark as Zen activated the blackout protocol. Emergency lighting shut down, security cameras switched to infrared mode, and the building became a labyrinth of shadows and silence.Six professional killers moved through the grounds like ghosts, their thermal goggles cutting through the darkness. They'd done this before. Wealthy targets, high-security homes, quick in-and-out jobs that looked like random break-ins.But they'd never hunted the Monarch of Death in his own territory.Zen watched them from the second floor, his night vision giving him perfect clarity while they stumbled through unfamiliar terrain. The team leader was directing the others with hand signals. Two to the front entrance, two to the back, one to the service entrance.And one hanging back near the garden gate.Marcus Chen.So the bastard had come personally. Good. That would make things simpler.The first pair reached the front door and began working on the electronic locks. High-end equi