Adrian Wolfe stood atop his glass-walled penthouse, gazing out at the city he now controlled. The neon skyline stretched before him, a glowing empire built on the ashes of the old rulers.The Obsidian Ring? His now.Silas? Gone.Louis Kindsor? Dying, hunted.Everything was falling into place.With a smirk, Adrian swirled the wine in his glass, watching the news screens across the city.Louis Kindsor’s bounty had set Apple City ablaze.Mercenaries. Bounty hunters. Crime syndicates. Every desperate killer in the city wanted a piece of the fallen king.Adrian took a slow sip, relishing the moment.Let them chase him. Let them break him.By the time Louis finally crawled back into the light… there wouldn’t be anything left of him.Pearl adjusted the black tactical gloves on her hands, exhaling slowly. She hated waiting.Juliet, crouched beside her, had her tablet linked into Adrian’s security grid, hacking through the layers of encrypted firewalls.“Almost there,” Juliet muttered.Pearl’s

They moved fast, weaving through the maze-like facility, avoiding patrols, ducking under security cameras.Terminator X led them with ease, his movements precise, like he knew the layout better than anyone.Juliet’s suspicions deepened.“How do you know this place so well?”Terminator X didn’t slow his pace.“I do my homework.”They reached a loading dock, where a sleek black escape vehicle was waiting.Pearl’s instincts were screaming now.This was too clean.Too easy.She stepped in front of Terminator X, blocking his path. “Alright, talk.”He frowned. “We don’t have time for this.”Pearl’s grip on her pistol tightened. “You’re damn right we don’t.”“Why are you really here?”Juliet shifted beside her, scanning his face, her own suspicions solidifying.Terminator X let out a slow breath.Then—He pulled his gun.Juliet’s stomach dropped.Pearl’s gun was already raised.Terminator X’s expression was unreadable, cold.And then he turned his gun on Louis.Louis, still weak, barely mana

The penthouse shook with the aftershocks of destruction. From the massive windows behind them, Louis could see the city bathed in fire and smoke.Adrian’s empire was collapsing in real time.The echoes of explosions rumbled from the districts below, the buildings once controlled by The Obsidian Ring now in ruins.Louis stood over the man who had pulled every string, played every hand, and tried to control fate itself.But fate had other plans.Adrian Wolfe was on his knees.The once pristine, untouchable mastermind now looked like any other beaten man. His silver hair hung limply over his face, streaked with blood. His designer suit—torn, ruined, unrecognizable.His breath was ragged, his arrogance finally cracking.Louis took slow, deliberate steps forward, his boots leaving streaks of blood on the sleek penthouse floor.He lifted his gun, pressing the barrel against Adrian’s forehead.Outside, the city continued to burn in the glass’s reflection.Adrian let out a low, hoarse chuckle

For years, Apple City’s underworld had functioned under a brutal hierarchy. The Broker had ruled from the shadows. Adrian Wolfe had played his long game.Now, with both of them gone, there was one truth left:The strongest would claim the throne.And Louis Kindsor wasn’t about to let anyone take what was his.Juliet slid a holo-report across the sleek black conference table. The names flashed in bright red, accompanied by grainy surveillance photos.THE VULTURES – Arms dealers turned warlords, specializing in paramilitary tactics.THE CRIMSON LOTUS – An old-school syndicate with deep ties in the Asian underground markets.THE VEYRON SYNDICATE – A corporate-backed criminal empire that thrived in high-stakes financial manipulation.They had all been minor players under Adrian’s reign.Now, they were rising together.Pearl leaned back in her chair, tossing a knife between her fingers. “Three gangs teaming up? That’s cute.”Juliet’s expression was grim. “It’s more than that. They’re coord

The bullet should’ve killed Pearl.It didn’t.But that meant whoever ordered the hit wasn’t just sending a message anymore.They were escalating.And Louis Kindsor was about to send a message of his own.Juliet’s fingers flew over her tablet, eyes scanning data streams, heat signatures, and encrypted feeds as she traced the sniper’s escape route.Pearl, still recovering from almost having her head blown off, sipped a glass of whiskey at the bar, watching Juliet work."You’re sure it wasn’t one of the crime families?” she asked.Juliet shook her head. “No. This wasn’t a syndicate hit. This was professional.”Louis stood nearby, arms crossed, his mind already miles ahead."So who has that kind of reach?"Juliet’s eyes flickered. “That’s what I’m finding out.”She pulled up a feed from a private dark-web server, one that only the highest-level mercenaries had access to.A single event listing blinked in bold red text.LIVE AUCTION – EXCLUSIVE CONTRACTS – HIGHEST BID WINS.Underneath, the