There were eight dukes in Prussia, each ruling a vast territory, each holding power like a king.Duke Eisenwall was one of them — and he stood firmly with the Technocratic Faction, the new movement that worshipped progress. They believed AI should lead humanity forward, no questions asked.Opposing them was the Order of Nature, the conservative faction that clung to the old path — humans must follow the law of nature, not machines.And then there was the Neutral Circle, a third power formed by natural-born dukes and their nobles. They walked a razor-thin line between the two giants, shifting their stance every time the wind changed.Sofina’s breath tightened the moment she saw Ragnar Eisenwall.A ghost from her past.The man she once thought was the brightest star in their youth — the alpha, the golden boy, the one everyone chased.But he had been her greatest mistake.Her deepest wound.The first person who taught her what it felt like to be “unworthy.”Ragnar strutted toward them in

Ragnar’s face went from red to green to a furious, sickly mix of both.He shook violently, trying to contain himself, but the humiliation—the betrayal—and the open mocking crashed into him like a sledgehammer to the skull.For the first time in his life, he understood what it felt like to be used, to be cheated on, to be made a fool of by the woman he had worshipped as “pure.”He lunged at Sybilla and slapped her hard, again and again, each blow echoing across the Celestial Garden.“You bitch!” he roared, his voice cracking with fury. “You lied to me! You filthy bastard—how dare you drag me into the dirt with someone like you! You forced me to touch trash! I’ll kill you, slut—I swear I’ll kill you!”Sybilla screamed, her voice breaking as she staggered backward, her hair whipping wildly with every strike.Ragnar kept hitting her, each word laced with venom.“How dare you do this to me, you filthy bitch!”Sybilla had sacrificed everything—, even dragging her parents deep into debt—just

The next morning, before the sun even lifted over Winchester, Alex headed straight to the city’s largest car showroom.The place was a fortress of glass and steel, packed with the most expensive machines the empire could build.He came with one purpose: to buy a car so extraordinary that no one would ever dare question Sofina’s worth again.She deserved the best—luxury, prestige, and a price tag that silenced every rumor before it even formed.He walked through the towering showroom doors and entered the massive dome where every premium and exclusive model sat under bright lights like jewels on display.Alex scanned the room, eyes sharp, until he spotted it—the most expensive car in all of Prussia.VÖXEN.A beast built in the same league as Lamborghini. The cheapest model started at a million dollars. The top-tier version sat at eight million, gleaming like liquid metal.For Alex—with fifty billion dollars in liquid assets sitting comfortably in his accounts—that eight-million-dollar

The woman already knew Alex had arrived on a bicycle.Everyone did.He was probably the only man in this entire city still riding one in this age of airborne vehicles and silent electric cruisers.But a commission was still money on the table, and she wasn’t about to let it slip away. Better to try and risk being wrong than walk away with nothing at all.The world was full of strange millionaires—eccentric, unpredictable people who never looked like what they were. For all she knew, he might be one of them.“This is the barcode,” she said, steadying her voice. “Scan it, transfer the funds, and everything will be yours.”Alex lifted his wrist. His bracelet glowed.He scanned the code.A soft chime.Then the transfer—ten million dollars in clean, unquestionable cash—shot out of his account in a single breath.The bracelet vibrated as the system confirmed ownership.The car bond snapped into place.In the very next second, the entire showroom erupted.Sirens flared. Lights swept across t

“Oh come on.” Alex burst out laughing, loud and unfiltered.“I don’t know what the interior of a ten-million-dollar car looks like, but I do remember what the showroom guy told me. The previous owner was a hardcore VÖXEN enthusiast.”He shook his head, still amused.“He even modified the first-generation VÖXEN to match the newest model. I don’t know if he was crazy enough to imitate the VÖXEN Seraphine, but here’s what I do know—the man had to sell the car because his wife thought he loved this car more than he loved her.”Alex glanced at both women. “Maybe he did love this car more than his wife. Still didn’t save him. Nobody wins against their wife.”“So can we please stop talking about the car before my wife kicks me out for buying this ‘cheap’ thing that looks like an expensive one?”Sofina stopped mid-thought. Then her face brightened, her smile sudden and wide. “You’re right, Alex. We should just be grateful. This is a blessing.”“Exactly,” Alex said, pointing a finger for emphas