Marvin could not breathe.The world around him blurred as Stella stepped into the hospital room, her figure was framed by the doorway. In her arms was a small bundle wrapped in white cloth, the faint coo of a child breaking the silence like a fragile piece of music.His throat closed. His chest tightened. His mind screamed that this could not be real.“Stella…” His voice was a whisper, dry and trembling. “No… this is… this is impossible.”The room swayed before his eyes. Memories hit him all at once—the memory of Daniel Richmond’s face, cold and ruthless, as his finger hovered over the large red button. The memory of his own heart leaping into his throat, his legs moving too slow, his voice breaking with a desperate shout that was drowned by the roar of the explosion.Ten minutes. That was all it took. Ten minutes after he left Stella and their baby in that hospital, the world outside turned into fire. Smoke and glass rained from the sky. The blast swallowed the building whole. He h

The convoy rolled deeper into the estate courtyard. The air was thick with chants and curses, a storm of voices that crashed against the mansion’s towering walls. Synapticore beams still carved glowing patterns across the sky, their pale-blue light painting everything in an unearthly glow.The first car stopped before the marble steps of the main hall. Doors clicked open, but no one moved. The crowd outside hushed for a heartbeat, the silence was filled only by the low hum of engines and the hiss of banners whipping in the wind.Then the door of the central car opened.Marvin Richmond stepped out.He moved slowly, deliberately, one hand pressed against the polished car roof. His arm was still bound with white bandages, a reminder of wounds that had not fully healed. A stick of gum rolled lazily between his lips. Dark sunglasses hid his eyes, reflecting back the sea of people staring at him.The honor guards snapped their rifles to their shoulders, blue light flaring harmlessly from t

“I do not fight for bloodshed. I fight for restoration. And today, I declare the reforms that will lift Richmond from the ashes of shame into the dawn of strength.”He stretched his bandaged hand toward the estate grounds.“The trade routes that were stolen from us—I have restored them. The supply lines for hardware and the fiber-optics pipelines that were diverted by rival tech firms—I have reclaimed them. The innovation hubs that withered in neglect under corrupt management—I have taken full responsibility to rebuild them. The IP, the patents, the prototypes that were hoarded by power families—I have ripped them from their hands and returned them to the hands of our engineers. No Richmond child born with dreams of circuits, code, or breakthrough will be shut out again. No Richmond worker will ever again be chained by debt, outsourcing, or by those superpowered rivals who thought Synapticore made them invincible. This is not my promise—it is my reality.”The cheers rose louder this t

The chamber fell into a hush when Alicia stepped back from the window. For a moment, her eyes lingered on Marvin and Stella — husband, wife, and child in the glow of light. She knew the conversation that awaited them did not need her presence.She bowed her head lightly. “I will leave you to rest, Marvin. The people still need guidance outside, and I should begin answering them. My duty has already begun.”Marvin gave her a tired smile. “Thank you, Alicia. You have carried us quietly for years. Now you carry us openly. I trust you completely.”Her lips trembled faintly, though her expression remained composed. With one last glance at Stella and baby Lucian, Alicia excused herself. The heavy doors closed softly behind her, and the air in the chamber shifted.Now, it was only family.Stella rose slowly from her chair, swaying baby Lucian gently in her arms. His tiny fist gripped her necklace, his breaths were slow and steady against her chest. She hummed a quiet tune — a lullaby her mot

The silence after the slaughter was unbearable.The banquet hall stank of gunpowder and blood. Bodies sprawled across the marble floor, their lifeless eyes staring at nothing. The candles on the long table flickered weakly, their light dancing on shattered goblets and spilled wine that bled into the cracks of the stone.And yet, above that carnage, one sound still lingered.Marvin Richmond’s laughter.Dark. Cold. Relentless.It was not the laughter of a man amused, but of a man who already owned the end of this story. His voice rolled across the hall like thunder breaking in the night, and even the walls seemed to tremble beneath its weight.The conspirators—Rowan, Martha, and two trembling allies—stood frozen in that sound. Their weapons had been stripped away. Their Synapticore had been snuffed out. And now they had nothing left but shame and fear.Marvin rose from his chair with unhurried grace, his hand brushing the table as he stood. His gaze swept across them, sharp as the edge