“The reason my brother doesn’t have the document here is simple: Xinca has not released our counterpart of the digital filing yet. They have strict protocols,” Frank began, a calm, controlled look on his face.“They do not want the specific conditions of this investment made public, especially not the equity split, until the secondary tier of local investments is fully secured,” he added.He held out his hand, letting his gaze sweep across the investors.“They are protecting your interests as much as ours. If the full scale of their involvement leaked tonight, stock prices would spike, and you’d all be priced out before you could even open your checkbooks.”Frank gave a knowing, sophisticated smile.“Xinca is helping us stabilize, but they are doing it on their terms. Privacy is the price we pay for their backing.”The shift in the room was almost instantaneous. Frank’s explanation was so logical, so perfectly aligned with Xinca’s legendary reputation for shadow-moving, that suspicio

“Vander-Morgans,” Tedmond repeated, the name tasting like a joke on his tongue.He looked at Persis, then back at the trembling Vivian.“That’s a very specific name to pull out of thin air, Grandmother. Are you sure you want to commit to that?”Vivian stood her ground, fingers trembling where they rested against the head of her cane.She had spent a lifetime protecting the Griffin legacy, and she could not fathom why this boy, her own blood, was so intent on watching it burn.“It is the truth, Tedmond,” Vivian said, her voice gaining a sharp, defensive edge. “Unlike you, we’re trying to build something, not just tear it down. We are trying to survive.”Her eyes searched Tedmond’s cold, unyielding face.For a moment, the matriarch’s mask slipped, revealing a flicker of genuine, bewildered concern.Why was he doing this? Why was he standing in the middle of a ballroom, in front of the city’s most powerful, and systematically dismantling his own family?She frowned, heart heavy with a s

“Tedmond! There are rumors you’re the one who alerted the Xinca Group! Are you moving to take over the family assets now that they’ve collapsed?” another reporter yelled.One reporter, a sharp-featured woman from the city’s leading financial news network, managed to block their path to the waiting black sedan.She ignored the chaos, her eyes fixed on the power radiating from the masked woman and the silent man beside her.“Mr. Griffin, one question for the public,” she pressed, her voice clear above the din. “With the Griffin Estate in total ruins and the three primary directors in custody, the city is wondering about the future.”“Is Xinca or Vander-Morgans going to pick up the pieces? Is your company going to absorb what’s left of the Griffin legacy?”Tedmond paused, his hand resting on the car door.He turned slightly, the glare of the cameras catching the sharp angle of his jaw and the cold glint in his eyes.“The Griffin legacy,” Tedmond said, his voice carrying cleanly through

Harold had heard enough. He didn’t want to hear Tedmond’s name spoken again.After all, he still couldn’t believe he had been taken down by a child he had ignored and ruined for years.He wanted to believe Tedmond hadn’t done anything at all. He didn’t want to hear his name.“What board, Harold?” the guard interrupted, already moving away to continue his rounds. “The board of directors resigned at 1:00 a.m.”“The stock is at zero. Your ‘empire’ is a parking lot now. You should’ve stayed in your lane. Instead, you reached for the sun and turned to ash.”Harold let out a final, guttural scream of rage, shaking the bars until his hands bled.The only response was the heavy steel door at the end of the corridor slamming shut, leaving the three brothers in oppressive, silent darkness and the truth.***At the Mansion Gates,Back at the estate, the scene was no less brutal.Vivian stood at the edge of the road, her expensive silk heels sinking into damp grass.Behind her, Adeline and Evelyn

The room fell into an uneasy, shivering silence, broken only by the distant wail of a siren on the street below.Evelyn huddled in a corner, clutching a thin, scratchy motel towel around her shoulders, her eyes darting toward her mother-in-law, who meticulously smoothed out the silk gowns."We need to call her," Evelyn whispered, teeth chattering. "Maybe Tina didn’t run. Maybe she’s just hiding nearby, waiting for the dust to settle. If she has that emerald, we don’t have to sell… this." She gestured vaguely at the pile of lingerie.Vivian didn’t look up. "Try her. But don’t expect a miracle."Adeline grabbed the phone, the only one still holding a flicker of battery life. Her fingers fumbled as she dialed Tina’s private line.The three women stood in a tight, desperate circle, leaning in as the call began to ring.Ring… Ring… Ring…Inside the vibrating hull of the cargo plane, Tina’s phone buzzed in her discarded clutch.“ADELINE” flashed on the screen. Tina’s bruised fingers tigh