Bruno stared at Count Oskar, frozen in disbelief. His mind went blank, like a circuit had been burned out.Count Oskar Winterhagen.The underground overlord of Winchester.Bruno was nothing more than a local leader, a small-time figure ruling a narrow slice of territory. But Count Oskar? He ruled this entire area.No—he ruled the city’s shadows themselves. Every man in Winchester’s underworld knew his name. He was absolute power.Bruno never imagined he would cross paths with someone like that—especially over something so trivial.All of this, just because Matthias had asked him to deal with a minor nuisance.Matthias, completely unaware of who Count Oskar was, had just been struck down by Oskar’s men.Dazed and furious, he leaned close to Bruno and whispered through clenched teeth, “Bruno, what the hell is going on? Who is this old man? Can’t you handle him? I’ll give you another hundred thousand dollars.”The moment those words left his mouth, Bruno started shaking.The next second,

Alex glanced back at Renata and shook his head.“Did they hit your head too hard?”She stared at him blankly.“What are you talking about?”He frowned in disbelief.“No sane woman asks about making love while she’s lying injured in a hospital bed.”“I didn’t mean this very moment,” Renata answered quickly, clearly embarrassed.“Let’s make it never,” Alex replied flatly.“What?”“I refuse,” he said firmly.“Are you sure?” Renata studied him, trying to understand. She had forced herself to be brave, to offer intimacy as a way of saying thanks.In her mind, that kind of offer usually made men thrilled and eager. She absolutely believed no one would reject her.She was a duke’s daughter, admired wherever she went, breathtakingly beautiful and fully aware of her effect on people.Yet after gathering all her courage, after swallowing her pride and speaking honestly, the man in front of her dismissed her without hesitation.And that stung more than any of her visible wounds.Alex folded his

“What the hell are you doing?!” Kaltmann roared, his voice cracking with rage. “I’m calling the police!”Alex knew exactly what that meant. If this reached the authorities, there would be sanctions—serious ones. His status, his citizenship—everything he had spent three brutal years fighting to obtain—could be erased in a single decision.He turned sharply to Leonora.“Miss Silberkreuz,” Alex said, “I slapped and kicked this man under your authority. Do you want me to kill him too?”Leonora froze. For a split second, even she looked shaken. Alex had just dumped every risk straight into her hands without hesitation.“That’s a lie!” Kaltmann shouted, staggering upright. His finger shook as he pointed at Alex, fury trembling through his arm.“Miss Silberkreuz never ordered you to touch me! How dare you hit me—kick me! You’ll pay for this!”Alex stepped forward.In one brutal motion, he grabbed Kaltmann by the collar and smashed his fist into the old man’s face—once, then again.“Miss Silb

Alex’s foot snapped forward in a brutal arc and slammed into Kaltmann’s chest.The old man was launched backward. Blood sprayed from his mouth as his body crashed across the floor.“How dare you,” Alex said coldly, stepping forward, “as an advisor, criticize a decision made by Miss Silberkreuz.”He stared down at Kaltmann like a judge passing sentence.“Who do you think you are?” Alex continued. “You think you can control your own boss?”“This kick was sent by Miss Silberkreuz,” he said. “To remind you of your place. And to make sure you never mislead her again.”Kaltmann wiped the blood from his lips and glared at Alex Saint-Claire with hatred burning in his eyes.Leonora was hesitating. She hadn’t made a bid yet. And it was because of Alex.Kaltmann’s voice was rough and strained, scraping out of his throat.“You’re the one who lied to Miss Silberkreuz,” he snarled. “You’re the reason she lost a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”Alex laughed—a short, sharp sound full of contempt.“Wh

Alex was at home when Oskar called.“Sir,” Oskar said. “How do you want to proceed with Anton Dunkel?”Alex lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He thought for a moment. “He wanted me dead over a cheap money scam involving Leonora,” he said flatly. “But we’re not going to kill him over something that small, are we?”“No, sir,” Oskar replied. “We’ll drain him dry. Every last cent. Then we take over all his land.”Alex’s expression hardened. “Marquis Anton Dunkel controls a major state. It borders Xia territory. Do you really think we can handle it?”“Of course we can,” Oskar said without hesitation. “Our underground network includes many Xia people who are still deeply connected to Xia.”“They’re ready to take any position we give them. They know the terrain, the systems, and the routes. Their big families are there—and to them, family is everything. They’ll handle it perfectly.”Alex fell silent. He had money—more than enough—but in Prussia, money alone didn’t equal power.Ta