The four men froze in shock, their drunken haze clearing instantly as they stared down the barrels of the guns aimed at them. One of them, reacting fast, lunged for his weapon—but before his fingers could even touch it—Puff!A single, silenced shot rang out. Blood splattered across the table as he collapsed to the floor, lifeless. The other three men flinched, their eyes wide with terror as they looked at their fallen comrade, realization sinking in that this wasn’t just a threat. This was real.Elijah, watching the scene unfold, felt nothing—not fear, not hesitation. Only rage. This was the first time he had ever seen someone die right in front of him, but there was no space for sympathy. Not for men like them.His cold eyes locked onto the remaining three. "Anyone who makes a sound will be killed instantly," he said, his voice as sharp as a blade.The men swallowed hard, their bodies rigid with fear."Where's Chris?" Elijah demanded, his tone carrying a deadly promise.One of the m

As Chris stood there, breathing heavily, his men began to panic. He also saw the body of one of the guys on the floor.“Chris! Do something, man!” one of them yelled, struggling under the grip of Elijah’s bodyguards.“This is all your fault, Chris! If you hadn’t gone after the damn girl, we wouldn’t be in this mess!” another spat, his face twisted with anger.“Yeah, you just had to be greedy, didn’t you?” one of the guys who had been drinking earlier snapped. “You just had to have her all to yourself first! Now look where we are!”“Shut the fuck up!” Chris barked, his face red with frustration and fear.“Nah, you shut the fuck up!” one of them shot back. “Because of you, one of us is already dead upstairs, and now we’re about to join him!”Chris gritted his teeth, glancing back at Elijah, whose face remained cold and unbothered.Elijah tilted his head. “This is interesting,” he mused. “Your own men turning against you. It seems loyalty only goes so far.”One of Chris’s men, his face f

Elijah smirked, leaning closer, his breath warm against Chris's ear."Have you heard of General Marcus Steel?"Chris's breath hitched. His pupils dilated in horror. Of course, he had heard of him. Everyone had. A ruthless, legendary figure. A man whose name alone sent fear through the ranks of those who dealt in crime and power.Chris nodded weakly, his body still trembling. "What about him?" he rasped.Elijah’s smirk widened."He’s my dad.”Chris felt his entire body go numb. His breathing hitched, his hands trembling as he clutched his bleeding stomach. His mind was spinning, refusing to process the words Elijah had just spoken.General Marcus Steel… his father?Chris's lips quivered as he struggled to form words. His heart pounded so hard in his chest he thought it might burst. Of all the powerful figures he could have messed with, it had to be him.The name Marcus Steel wasn’t just well-known—it was legendary. A man feared across the globe, known for his ruthless strategies, milit

Sierra blinked up at him, her body weak but her heart full. The nurse stepped forward, opening her bag to begin examining her.Celeste wasted no time as she unzipped her large medical bag and began setting up her equipment with smooth precision. She pulled out a stethoscope, placing it neatly on the nightstand before reaching for a small flashlight, which she tested before setting it beside the stethoscope.Next, she brought out a digital blood pressure monitor, unrolling the cuff carefully. She placed a pulse oximeter on the bedside table, followed by a small case of syringes and vials—most likely antidotes or treatments for drug intoxication. A thermometer, antiseptic wipes, and a small notepad were next, each placed in an orderly fashion as she prepared to assess Sierra properly.She also retrieved a portable IV drip stand, adjusting its height before hanging a bag of saline solution on it. As she carefully prepared the tubing, she glanced at Sierra, her expression calm and reassur

Nathaniel’s father frowned, his sharp eyes narrowing. “What do you mean by some guy shut down the proposal?”Nathaniel exhaled through his nose, still feeling the sting of the interaction. “I mean exactly that. I approached Celestine Valencia, but instead of responding to me, she let some man sitting beside her take charge. He questioned everything—picked apart our security protocols, pointed out flaws, and made it seem like working with us was a risk instead of an opportunity. By the time he was done talking, Celestine had lost interest, and I had no way to counter him.”His father’s expression darkened with anger. “And you just let that happen?” He scoffed, shaking his head in disappointment. “You let some nobody dismiss years of our research and development like it was nothing?” He stood up abruptly, his hands tightening into fists at his sides.Nathaniel clenched his jaw. “I—”“I might have been wrong handing Mercer Innovations over to you,” his father interrupted, his tone sharp