Marvin's eyes filled with a dangerous fire as he looked at Jessica, and every word of his, carried the weight of his fury. "If anything happens to my mother," he warned, his voice low and trembling with rage, "I promise you will regret it."Jessica only smirked, unfazed by his threat. "Oh, I’m terrified," she said, with sarcasm dripping from her tone. "Really, Marvin. Your mother’s about to get stabbed, and the best you can do is throw empty threats at me?"Marvin’s glare turned cold, and it was filled with a malevolent intensity. "Leave my mother out of this," he growled, his voice was like steel. "She has nothing to do with Project Helios."But Jessica's mocking smile didn’t waver. She held the tablet up again, forcing Marvin to watch the screen.In the elegant lounge of the Aurora Grand Hotel, Marvin's mother, Sophia, stood up and walked to the door after hearing a knock. She opened it, expecting to see a server with refreshments. But, to her surprise, the hallway outside was emp

Marvin sat in the emergency waiting area, his hands were clenched into tight fists as his mind burned with hatred toward Jessica Zypher. He could feel his anger like a fire in his chest, each thought was sharper and darker than the last.Why would she go after my mother? he thought bitterly. His mother was innocent, a gentle woman who had already been through so much. She had been trying to heal, just like he was, after everything that happened in Westwood. That nightmare had nearly destroyed them both—his own father had disowned them, and, as if that wasn’t enough, had even tried to have Marvin killed. And now, Jessica had dragged his mother into this dangerous game.Marvin’s mind swirled with violent thoughts, each one more ruthless than the last. If he ever got the chance, he would make Jessica pay. He would make her feel the pain she had caused him, make her regret every step she took that led to this. He could almost imagine his hands closing around her throat…A noise broke

Inside, Dr. Felix’s office was meticulously organized, with shelves lined by thick medical volumes, a wall of diplomas and accolades, and a large, dark mahogany desk. The faint smell of antiseptic lingered in the air.Dr. Felix, a tall man with sharp features and weary eyes, looked up from his notes and gave Marvin a polite nod. “Hello, Mr. Richmond,” he said, gesturing to the chair opposite his desk. “Please, have a seat.”Marvin sank into the chair, his body was tense, and his mind was already racing with questions he wanted to ask about the surgery needed to cure his mother’s condition. But just as he was about to speak, his attention was caught by a TV screen mounted on the wall behind Dr. Felix. The screen displayed the muted broadcast of a local news station, but the headline running across the bottom was impossible to ignore."JESSICA ZYPHER MEETS NEOVALLE'S GOVERNOR SENATOR WEBSTER CONCERNING PROJECT HELIOS."The name "Jessica Zypher" was enough to send a surge of anger thro

As Marvin stood in the doorway, his eyes locked onto Daniel’s. He could see the shock on Daniel’s face—the flash of fear, quickly replaced by defensiveness. A faint glow appeared on Daniel’s forehead, right on the synapticore mark—a small, pulsing mark that made it clear to Marvin that Daniel was tensed and afraid. Daniel's reaction was a detail that Marvin knew all too well, a sign that his stepbrother was unsettled.For a moment, memories came flooding back to Marvin. He remembered what had happened in Westwood, the times Daniel had humiliated him, looked down on him, treated him as less than family. The anger that had simmered for so long began to rise, hot and sharp. He felt the urge to storm across the room, to finally confront Daniel face-to-face after a long time and beat him up. He wanted to show him what it felt like to be afraid.Daniel could see it in Marvin’s eyes. The anger, the long-held resentment. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, his mouth was opening slightl

Mr. Austin was the first to react, as his face twisted in outrage. “Are you serious?” he asked, his voice was dripping with contempt. He couldn’t believe the audacity of Marvin’s demand.Another man, the one with the gray beard, shook his head with a sneer. “You march in here, dressed like that, and think you can demand that kind of money from us? Are you mad?”The rest of the men murmured their disapproval, some of them scoffing openly. They couldn’t understand why Marvin, who looked like a common man off the street, would have the nerve to make such an outrageous demand. To them, it sounded insane.But Marvin stood his ground, unfazed by their reactions. He met each of their eyes, calm and unflinching, as if he knew something they didn’t. There was a quiet power in his stance—a confidence that left the men feeling uneasy, despite their anger.Marvin turned to Daniel, his voice turned steady and calm. “Well, if you refuse to give me that money, I’m going to expose Daniel’s little N