Vincent Arceneaux didn’t back down.His glowing eyes burned brighter now, his face twisted in effort. “Give me the money,” he said, voice like thunder inside Jayden’s head. “Four hundred million. Right now.”The pressure inside Jayden’s skull increased. It was like a thousand hands pressing against his brain, trying to squeeze it into submission.“Do it,” Vincent growled. “Wire the funds. Speak the words. Make it happen.”Jayden’s body wavered. His legs buckled. He staggered slightly.Vincent smirked.“See? You’re already cracking. You can’t resist me. No one can. Not in here.”Jayden dropped to one knee.His breathing slowed.His hands shook.He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. His fingers hovered over the power button.Vincent’s grin widened.“That’s it,” he said. “You know you’ve lost. Go ahead. Open it. Send it. Four hundred million. I want every cent.”Jayden pressed the button.The phone lit up. A bright white screen.And for a moment—he stayed still.His head l

Vincent Arceneaux felt the cold, hard floor beneath his knees. The confirmation on the phone screen burned into his eyes, a bright, cruel light. Ten trillion dollars. Gone. Just like that. His body felt like a statue made of heavy stone, unmoving, even though his insides were screaming. He couldn't move his arms, couldn't clench his fists against what looked unfairness to him even though he knew that he was the villain here. Jayden’s power held him tight, like invisible ropes made of pure thought.His pride, once so big and strong, felt like a pile of ashes, scattered by a sudden wind. He, Vincent Arceneaux, the self proclaimed master of minds, the one who pulled strings and made people dance to his tune, was now the puppet. He was the one dancing, forced to give up a significant amount of what he had stolen. The shame was a bitter taste in his mouth, worse than any defeat he had ever known. He had always been in control, always the one with the upper hand. Now, he was nothing.

Jayden’s fingers tightened slightly on the steering wheel. The road ahead was still calm, but inside his mind, thoughts moved like quiet thunder.“The pattern, Carl,” Jayden said slowly, “is that the same people keep getting attacked. Over and over. You. Me. Franchise connected to the Bowen family. Franchise connected to the Orions. And you ever notice who doesn’t get touched?”Carl was silent, listening.Jayden went on, “The Khybers, Vincent Arceneaux and his family, others like them... they never mess with the Velcan family. Or the Grigori family. Or the Richmonds. Or the Zyphers. Why is that?”Carl gave a short, nervous laugh. “Well, I mean... maybe it’s just coincidence. Or maybe those families are just too powerful to mess with.”Jayden let that sit for a moment before answering. “Too powerful? No, Carl. Orion Dynamics has been around just as long. Your own business empire moves more tech and energy parts than the Grigoris ever did. And Marvin Richmond—when he was alive—he had mo

Jayden sat behind the large black desk in the executive office, the sealed folder from Benny was still resting beside his hand. The city skyline stretched outside the wide glass windows behind him.He leaned back in the tall chair, his thoughts were still spinning from the news. CEO. He never imagined this. Not now. Not like this.But what could he do other than adjust so he could mentally fit into this new role he found himself?His desk phone lit up, buzzing once.Jayden pressed the speaker button. “Yes?”“Mr. Cole,” the assistant’s voice came through, polite and quick, “you have a scheduled call with Supervisor Malric Kendo from Jebbah. He’s on the line.”Jayden sat up straighter. “Put him through.”There was a brief click, then a new voice filled the room.“Jayden, my friend!” Malric’s voice was smooth and cheerful, with a thick Jebban accent. Malric was of dual citizenship. His father was of the federation, an Orion in fact, while his mother was a Jebban. “Congratulations on the

Jayden’s boots pounded against the steel floor as he rushed toward the emergency control panel. His breath came fast and shallow. Every second counted now.He reached the red-framed console near the elevator—an old-fashioned security system built for total emergencies. He slammed his palm against the ID scanner. A small light blinked green.“Activate lockdown protocol,” he ordered. “Full internal seal. Limit access to Level Three clearance or higher.”The AI voice replied calmly:“Confirming identity. Jayden Cole. Clearance Level: Director. Confirm lockdown?”“Yes,” he snapped. “Lock the damn building and premises down!”“Lockdown initiating.”All across the facility, heavy blast doors began to slide into place with loud clanks. Lights turned red. Sirens gave short, sharp warning tones. The intercom buzzed with a robotic message repeating in cycles:“Attention: Facility lockdown in progress. Please remain in your current zones until further notice.”Jayden leaned against the wall, his