The tension in the boardroom was suffocating. The Phantom Syndicate’s masked enforcers stood guard, their weapons trained on the Zhao Enterprises executives. The hostages, a mix of high-ranking board members and key business figures, sat stiffly in their seats, their faces pale with fear.Evelyn, standing just outside, listened to the demands coming through the earpiece. The Phantom’s voice was eerily calm, dripping with confidence. "You have one hour to hand over control of Zhao Enterprises," she said. "If you refuse, one of your people dies every ten minutes."Leo clenched his fists as he listened from the command center. His mind raced. He had fought so hard to reclaim his family's legacy, only to see it threatened again. "We can't let them get away with this," he said.Evelyn met his gaze. "We won’t. But we need to be smart."Meanwhile, Amara moved like a shadow through the building’s lower levels. The abandoned sector had been left untouched for years, but her instincts told her

Leo sat in the dimly lit conference room, his fingers tapping against the surface of the table. The documents Amara had uncovered lay before him, revealing the terrifying truth. The Phantom Syndicate wasn’t just a rogue faction—it had been meticulously planning Leo’s downfall from the start. His name was at the top of their hit list, circled in red ink, with a single phrase scrawled underneath: "The Zhao name must fall." He inhaled sharply, gripping the edge of the table. "We can’t wait for them to make the next move," he said, his voice firm. "We take the fight to them." Evelyn, standing by the window, crossed her arms. "Rushing in without a plan will get us all killed. We need allies." "Who do you have in mind?" Amara asked, already knowing Evelyn wouldn’t suggest something so bold without a backup plan. "There are factions still loyal to the old Zhao name—those who benefited from the company's rise. They might not trust us completely, but they have no reason to side with the Pha

The city was still reeling from the chaos of the last battle. Smoke curled into the air as fires raged in the distance, casting an eerie glow over the streets. The Phantom Syndicate had struck hard, and now, Leo knew he had no choice but to take the fight directly to them. But before he could make his move, there was something else—someone—he needed to deal with.Philip stood in the dimly lit warehouse, surrounded by members of Leo’s inner circle. His hands were raised in surrender, his expression unreadable.“You’ve been meeting with someone behind our backs,” Evelyn said, stepping forward. Her voice was sharp, her posture rigid with distrust.Leo narrowed his eyes, holding Philip’s gaze. “Tell me the truth. Who have you been working with?”Philip sighed. “It’s not what you think,” he said, his voice low but steady. “I had to make a deal. It was the only way to get information on the Phantom’s next move.”“You’re lying,” Callum snapped. “We traced encrypted messages back to you. You

Smoke rose in thick plumes across the skyline. Sirens wailed in the distance, blending with the chaos erupting on the streets. Explosions rattled buildings as the Phantom Syndicate made their move, launching an all-out attack on Zhao Enterprises and the city itself.Leo stood atop the rooftop of one of his buildings, surveying the destruction below. The city was burning, and if they didn’t act fast, it would all be reduced to ash.He gritted his teeth, gripping his earpiece. "Everyone, move out. We take back the city, block by block."The war had begun.The Phantom Syndicate had never been this bold before. Armed men stormed Zhao Enterprises' key locations, tearing through security, planting explosives, and gunning down anyone who resisted. The streets were overrun with masked operatives, their symbol painted in red across the city walls.Inside Zhao Tower, Serena and Philip took cover behind overturned desks as gunfire erupted through the hallways."We’re surrounded," Philip muttered

The tension in the air was suffocating. Leo’s grip on the tablet tightened as he stared at the name that had shattered his world."Lucian Zhao."His father. A man he had believed dead for years. A man whose legacy he had fought to uphold. A man who, if the information was correct, had been orchestrating this war from the shadows.Evelyn’s voice was steady but laced with concern. "Leo, what do we do?"Leo exhaled sharply, forcing himself to focus. "We find him. And we end this."Kai nodded. "I’ve already started tracing the signal that activated when the explosion went off. It’s coming from an underground facility near the docks—an old Zhao Enterprises research lab that was abandoned years ago.""Then that’s where we go," Leo said, his voice like steel.But as they prepared to move, Markus stepped forward, his expression dark. "Before we go after him, there’s something I need to do."Leo met his gaze, reading the unspoken message in his eyes. "This is about your past, isn’t it?"Markus