Belinda froze when the head of Eden Group security shut her down so abruptly.For a split second, her mind went blank.Annoyance surged through her chest, sharp and burning. She wanted to scream. But her friends were still watching—every pair of eyes fixed on her. She clenched her teeth, swallowed her anger, and forced herself to stay upright.She made a call again.This time, she dialed the vice general manager—the man who had always hovered at her father’s side like a shadow.Her father’s right hand.She remembered it clearly.This man was always timid in front of her father—head lowered, spine bent, nodding nonstop, agreeing to everything without a single objection.The call connected.“Hello, Mr. Jacob,” Belinda said at once, her voice tight but confident. “It’s me, Belinda von Yorck. I’m having a problem here—”“I’m sorry,” the man cut in coldly. “I don’t know you.”Belinda stiffened.“What?” Her voice wavered for half a second, then turned sharp. “Mr. Jacob, don’t play games wit

The next morning, Sofina woke early and got ready for work.Alex was already in the kitchen. Breakfast had been carefully packed into a food box, prepared for her to take to the office. He wiped his hands, walked over, placed the food box against her palm—and then set the car key gently on top of it.“Drive to the office today,” he said calmly. “And from now on. Always.”Sofina hesitated. She looked down at the key, then back at him. “It’s your car. Are you sure I can use it?”“I didn’t buy it for me,” Alex said. “If you’re not driving it, the car loses its meaning.”Sofina paused, then nodded. She took the key, leaned forward, and kissed him softly on the lips. Her eyes lingered on his face, warm and romantic. “Thank you.”Pauline, still eating breakfast, squinted at the car keys in Sofina’s hand.“So let me get this straight,” she said. “You wake up, make breakfast, hand over a car like it’s candy, and act mysterious about it?”Alex nodded calmly. “That’s correct.”Pauline crossed h

“Today you’re coming with me,” Felicia said to Pauline. “You’re going to learn how money is really made. Using your body only works if you’re smart enough not to let some man hand you a sexually transmitted disease—a death sentence wrapped in pleasure.”Pauline turned her head.“Alex, do you have any sexually transmitted diseases?”“Yes,” Alex replied without hesitation. “I carry ten of the rarest and deadliest ones. So stay as far away from me as possible.”Pauline didn’t even blink. She reached into her bag and pulled out a compact device—sleek, metallic, shaped like a scanner gun. She pointed it straight at Alex’s chest.The device beeped once. A small screen flashed.“Mom,” Pauline said calmly, “Alex doesn’t have any sexually transmitted diseases. Out of two hundred and fifty known infections, he has none. He’s completely clean—perfectly healthy. That’s extremely rare.”Alex frowned.Felicia’s eyes narrowed. “How do you even have something like that?”“Everyone in my class has one

“But, boss—” Klaus tried to speak.The slap came again, harder than the first. His head snapped to the side.What he wanted to say died in his throat: Boss, everyone here is afraid of you—so how can you be this terrified of one young man?But the boss didn’t let him finish a single word. He seized Klaus by the collar and dragged him down the stairs, barking hurried orders for everyone to move quietly—slow, careful, not a sound—terrified that even the smallest noise might disturb Alex.Pauline froze. Just moments ago, those people had gone upstairs with confidence.Now every single one of them had retreated back to the first floor, faces pale, bodies stiff, as if they had just seen death itself.“Klaus,” the boss said. “Do you know who that man is?”“I… I don’t know,” Klaus answered honestly. For the first time, he saw pure fear in his boss’s eyes.“Good,” the boss snapped. “Then listen carefully. Say nothing about us coming here. Whatever he wants—whatever—you prepare it. Food. Drink.

“I’ll give you one last chance,” the guard said coldly. “Hand Miss Silberkreuz the book, or you die right here.”Alex laughed. It was short and sharp.“When you threaten someone with death,” he said, “have you already decided how you’ll die?”“We are Silberkreuz,” the lead guard sneered. “Who here would dare touch us? You think the Duke would ever side with you?”Klaus nodded, “I think the Duke would ask why his granddaughter started a bloodbath over a book she never owned.”Leonora’s gaze snapped to Klaus, eyes flashing.“You would really drag my grandfather into this?”“Miss Leonora, there’s no need to talk anymore,” the lead guard said impatiently. “Just kill them.”The other guards activated their laser weapons. A low hum filled the air.“Wait,” Leonora said sharply.“There’s nothing to wait for,” the lead guard replied. “We need to show them who we are. Everyone—kill that man and take the book.”Klaus and his men raised their weapons.Pauline squeezed her eyes shut and pressed he