The shattered remains of the Ashcroft Club lay in eerie silence as Henry and Eva stepped out into the night. Broken glass crunched underfoot, and the faint echo of sirens grew louder in the distance.Henry’s jaw was tight, blood still trickling from the cut on his neck. His suit was torn, bruises already forming beneath the fabric, but his posture remained unyielding.Eva holstered her weapon, her sharp eyes scanning the perimeter. “We need to move. This won’t end here, Henry. They’ll retaliate.”“They already have,” Henry muttered, his voice low and cold. “This wasn’t a warning—it was a declaration.”Eva glanced at him, her usually calm demeanor cracking. “And James?”Henry wiped the blood off his neck with the back of his hand. “Alive—for now. He’s not the real target. He’s a puppet for something bigger. Something that’s been pulling strings in the shadows for years.”“And they just made it personal,” Eva said, her tone hard.Henry nodded. “Let’s go. I need to get back to Jasmine an

**Three Months Later**The skyline of Knights Tower glowed brighter than ever, dominating the city like a fortress built from steel and glass. Henry Knights had reclaimed everything. His empire was untouchable. Every competitor had either been crushed, bought out, or forced into silence.But the calm was an illusion.The storm was coming.Henry sat in his penthouse office, reviewing acquisition reports on his glass-top desk. His focus was razor-sharp, but something gnawed at him, a presence he couldn't shake. He had taken everything from James Hartford and dismantled the network behind him. But power like that never just disappeared.The phone on his desk buzzed. Eva’s voice came through, steady but urgent. “Henry. We’ve got a problem.” Henry didn’t even blink. “Talk to me.” “We traced the offshore accounts again. Someone’s been moving funds under a different alias. It’s not James. It’s bigger. And, Henry... the accounts are connected to someone from *inside* the tower.” Henry

Five Years LaterKnights Tower stood taller than ever, a symbol of power, resilience, and an empire that had not only survived but thrived. Henry sat in his office, overlooking the city he had fought so hard to protect. The sprawling metropolis glittered under the afternoon sun, a testament to his vision and determination.Across from him, a boy sat at the edge of a leather armchair, his small legs swinging back and forth. His hair was dark like his father’s, his curious eyes scanning the room as if trying to take in every detail. His name was **Ethan Knights**, and even at five years old, there was an air of quiet confidence about him.Henry leaned back in his chair, watching his son with a mixture of pride and amusement. “You know, this chair used to feel way too big for me when I started,” Henry said, gesturing to the massive desk chair behind him.Ethan tilted his head, his expression serious. “Did you grow into it, Daddy?” Henry smiled faintly. “Something like that. You grow in

Ethan’s breathing was uneven as he crouched against the cold, cracked wall of the room. His freed wrists stung, the angry red marks a cruel reminder of how tightly the zip ties had bitten into his skin. The flickering light overhead was his only companion, casting eerie shadows across the bare walls. The silence outside the door was deafening, broken only by the faint dripping of water somewhere far away.He clenched his fists, trying to steady himself. Fear gnawed at him, threatening to overwhelm his resolve. He didn’t know where he was, how far from home he’d been taken, or why he was here. But he knew one thing for certain—no one was coming for him. Not yet.He wiped his eyes quickly, refusing to let the tears fall. Crying wouldn’t help. He needed to focus. His father always said that in the face of chaos, there was always a way forward, always a solution waiting to be found. Ethan didn’t feel like a solution was anywhere close, but he clung to his father’s words like a lifeline.A

The cold night wrapped around Ethan like a suffocating blanket, but the faint glimmer of lights in the distance gave him a sliver of hope. He wiped his tear-streaked face with the back of his hand, his legs aching as he trudged through the overgrown field. Every sound—every rustle of leaves, every distant animal cry—made his heart race. He clutched the crowbar tightly, his only comfort in the vast unknown.The lights came closer, revealing a small cluster of ramshackle buildings. Their weathered wooden walls leaned precariously, and smoke curled lazily from one of the chimneys. It didn’t look like much, but to Ethan, it was a lifeline.He hesitated at the edge of the settlement, his instincts screaming to be cautious. What if the people here were connected to his captors? What if this was another trap? But exhaustion clouded his judgment, and the hunger gnawing at his stomach pushed him forward.Ethan approached the largest building, a dilapidated house with its paint peeling in long