WHAM!Dylan’s fist slammed into Jayden’s stomach with a sickening thud, sending a jolt of pain that arched his spine and made his ribs rattle like a dying drum. Jayden's eyes bulged from the force, and his mouth opened in a soundless gasp before the air burst out of his lungs.The pain was blinding.The second blow came swiftly, almost before Jayden could recover.WHAM!This time, it was lower—deeper—into his gut. His body convulsed as he doubled over, coughing violently. Blood sprayed from his mouth, dark and thick, splattering onto the cold marble floor with a wet splat. His arms twitched, but the two enforcers holding him by each side didn’t even flinch. They kept him upright like a broken marionette, limp and bleeding.Jayden’s vision blurred. His body screamed. The sounds around him dulled. All he could hear was his own heartbeat, pounding like war drums in his ears.Then—WHAM!A third punch, right into his ribs.The sharp crack echoed in the chamber like a gunshot.Jayden g

The night was quiet.Elder Mason sat at the back of a black Toyota Century—a sleek, silent beast of a car with a luxurious leather interior and tinted windows. The vehicle rolled smoothly between two black jeeps, forming a tight convoy as they drove through the dark outskirts of the Neovalle City.He leaned back, holding a sleek silver phone to his ear. His voice was calm, cold, and laced with satisfaction.“Tariq,” he said.“Yes, Elder Mason?” came the voice on the other end.“It’s done. Jayden Cole is out of the picture.”“Completely?”“Four days ago,” Elder Mason began, adjusting the gold ring on his finger, “we picked him up under charges from the Orion family hierarchy. At first, he thought it was a misunderstanding…”He chuckled dryly.“But when we were done with him, he knew the truth. We beat him till his ribs cracked. We made him bleed. Then we stripped him of everything—his title, his dignity, his future. We kicked him out of the company like trash.”There was silence for a

Outside the Orion Headquarters, a sleek black cybertruck pulled into the courtyard. It made no sound as it stopped, but all eyes turned to it like it had roared like thunder.The door lifted open, and Jayden Cole stepped out.He looked like he owned the ground he walked on.He wore a dark leather jacket over a plain black shirt. Tight combat jeans hugged his legs, and his boots hit the floor like war drums. He carried a single carton bag in one hand—nothing flashy, just firm and deliberate. His hair was slicked back, not a strand out of place. A scarred chain necklace peeked from under his shirt.The air around him felt heavier.Darker.Powerful.His eyes were cold. Focused. Unshaken.He looked untouched—as if the brutal beating he suffered last time never happened. Not even a scratch on his face. No limp. No weakness. No pain.Just confidence.Like he was reborn.As Jayden reached the grand and main entrance of the building, two guards stepped forward.They were tall, broad, and wo

Stella Orion stood frozen, the image of Elder Mason’s severed head burned into her brain. Her lips trembled, her knees were weak, and her heart pounded like a war drum inside her chest.Jayden Cole slowly zipped the bag shut. The air in the office was cold, yet sweat clung to Stella's back."I know this is hard," Jayden said, his voice was low but firm. "But the man you called 'uncle' was a traitor. A poison that lived among you for years."Stella shook her head violently. "No. No, I don’t believe that. Elder Mason took the Orion oath. He was a part of this family from the beginning. He helped raise me! He loved my father!"Jayden stared at her, unmoved. "He loved your father? Then why did he work with one of your father's greatest rival? Why did he sell out your legacy to Tariq Khyber?""You're lying!" she snapped. "You killed him and now you're trying to justify it with a story! This is insane, Jayden!"Jayden reached into his jacket once more and pulled out a phone. Elder Mason’s p

Rain poured from the heavens like judgment. Thick, slashing sheets of water fell unrelentingly, soaking the cemetery in gloom. Thunder cracked the sky open, roaring like some ancient god grieving in the clouds. The earth was a swamp of grief and mud, swallowing boots with every cautious step.Lightning blazed across the heavens, casting pale, fleeting shadows over the gray tombstones. The storm gave the graves a trembling kind of life—like the dead were stirring beneath the soil.In the center of the graveyard, beneath a cluster of black umbrellas held by solemn guards, a casket rested on iron beams above an open grave. The hole was deep, dark, and hungry.Tariq Khyber stood unmoving, his tall frame cloaked in a drenched charcoal overcoat, his eyes locked on the corpse inside the open coffin. Rain rolled down his face and soaked the stubble along his jaw, but he didn’t flinch. His gaze was glassy, hard, unblinking. He looked like a man cut open by invisible grief, bleeding only o