Elijah turned his head slightly toward Sierra and asked in a soft voice, “My phone?”“Oh,” Sierra said, suddenly remembering. She got up from the bed, walked over to the drawer by the nightstand, and pulled it open. “Here,” she said, retrieving the phone and handing it to him.“Thank you,” Elijah said with a small smile, taking the device and unlocking it. His eyes scanned the screen, noticing a series of missed calls—all from Nathaniel Mercer.He tapped the number and brought the phone to his ear. After a few rings, the line connected.“Mr. Westbrook,” Nathaniel’s voice came through, eager and respectful. “I’m glad to receive your call. I couldn’t reach you.”Elijah leaned back against the pillows, his tone composed. “Yes… I wasn’t around. Is there any problem?”“Yes, please,” Nathaniel replied. “I’ve finished preparing my pitch and everything just as you asked me to. I’m just waiting for your approval, so I can move ahead to Dominion—like you said.”Elijah nodded thoughtfully. “Alri

The moment the men charged, a switch flipped inside Elijah.The Codex moved first.Not his mind. Not his limbs. The force within him—that ancient, living essence—took over.Elijah’s eyes widened slightly as his body dodged the first swing on its own, bending backward just inches under a swinging cutlass, his foot sliding back with perfect control. His arms moved fluidly, redirecting a rod aimed at his head with a swift elbow.What the—He barely had time to think. He wasn’t fighting. The energy was fighting for him.Another man lunged from the side with a bat, but Elijah spun low and struck his knee—CRACK—the man dropped with a howl. The others came, one by one, but Elijah handled each of them individually, with a mixture of elegance and brutal precision.A tall, bald man charged with a heavy iron stick and swung hard into Elijah’s ribs—CLANG!The stick snapped in half.The attacker stumbled back, his eyes wide with terror. “What the—what are you made of?!”Elijah grinned, blood pound

“Thank you, ma’am,” Nathaniel said as he took his seat, carefully placing the file on his lap before looking up again. “Truly, I’m honored to be here in front of the CEO of Dominion Group. I never even dreamt I’d get a chance like this.”Isla didn’t smile or show much emotion. She simply nodded slightly, her posture elegant and commanding.“I heard you have an investment proposal,” she said, her tone crisp and businesslike. “Let me see it.”“Yes, of course,” Nathaniel replied quickly, opening the file and carefully handing over the neatly organized documents.Isla took them without a word, flipping the first page and beginning to read. The room fell into a quiet tension as her eyes scanned the content—line by line, figure by figure—analyzing everything with clinical precision.Nathaniel sat still, hands folded in his lap, trying to mask the anxious flutter in his chest. This was the moment that could define the next chapter of his life.As Isla Delaney flipped through the last few pag

Isla gave a slow nod. “You can,” she said simply. “Make it public if you like. Just know — now that you're with Dominion… the world will be watching.”Nathaniel smiled wide, standing to his feet. “That’s exactly what I’ve been waiting for.”Meanwhile, on the highway just outside the city, the sleek black BMW hummed softly as it cut through the lanes with precision. The sun glinted off its polished body, and inside the vehicle, the atmosphere was calm.Felix was behind the wheel, wearing a casual white tee and dark jeans, his eyes focused on the road. In the front passenger seat, Elijah sat comfortably reclined, dressed too relaxed for a man of his influence — a loose black hoodie over a white shirt, grey joggers, and a pair of sleek black slides. He had one arm resting against the window, his other hand lazily tapping his knee in rhythm with the music playing softly in the background.He turned slightly toward Felix.“Are we done with the police station renovation?” Elijah asked, his

His men raised their weapons instantly, yelling and scrambling toward cover, eyes locked on the now-sparking wreck at the gate.Felix, heart pounding, took a few steps back in shock.Elijah remained seated. Unmoving. Eyes narrowed, locked on the scene—cold, calculating.The front of the crashed car hissed with smoke, the hood folded and glass shattered.As the dust began to settle, the full shape of the vehicle came into view.It wasn’t just any car — it was a mini bus, its front hood crushed from the impact, smoke curling from the engine. The body was dark grey, armored around the edges, and painted roughly along the side was a strange symbol — a red fang with a black eye carved into the center, surrounded by crude slashes as if clawed in with blades.Elijah’s eyes fixed on it.Phantom’s expression changed instantly.His face tensed.His eyes widened.“No...” he muttered.He took a step forward, raising his pistol instinctively.“Everyone alert!” he shouted to his men, his voice cutt