The news of Dayton's arrest spread like wildfire across Z city. Every major outlet blared the same headline: "Business owner Dayton Arrested for Attempted Murder of His Own Daughter." Every news channel, online platform, and blog had picked it up. It was a huge scandal that brought shame and disgrace to the Dayton legacy.In his penthouse, Harold lounged on a cream-colored leather couch, sipping from a crystal glass of aged bourbon as the TV blared the breaking news.“…Mr. Dayton is currently in custody and awaits trial. He’s being charged with attempted murder, sabotage, and conspiracy. Legal analysts say if convicted, he could face up to 35 years in prison…”Harold lazily reached for the remote. With a flick of his thumb, he muted the TV, shaking his head in amusement. "Tsk... so that old bastard was behind it all along," he muttered to himself. "What a pain in the ass." Just then, his servant hurried into the room, holding out a phone with a bow. "Your father is calling, sir

Later that evening, as the city settled at night, Barry’s private line buzzed sharply on the polished glass desk inside the penthouse.Sebastian, who stood by the window with a glass of red wine, calmly turned toward the ringing phone. He set the glass down and answered with composed grace.“Hello?”The voice that exploded through the other end echoed across the room.“You bastard! Barry Sullivan you've ruined me!” the judge screamed furiously. “I was banned just this night—barred from the judiciary with immediate effect! Do you know what that means?! My license, stripped! My privileges—gone! My pension? Revoked! Do you know what you've done to me?!"Sebastian blinked slowly, unmoved. “I'm afraid this isn't Barry Sullivan. He's out.”“Then you tell that lowlife son of a bitch that's he's dead meat” The judge cursed so violently, Sebastian could hear the spittle flying through the phone. "I wish him dead. His entire family shall never know peace."Sebastian's expression darkened.He c

Victor Lennox rose to his full height and approached the stand like a man taking center stage in a grand theater. He adjusted his cufflinks, then offered a polite smile to the judge before turning his attention to Barry.“Mr. Barry,” he began, smoothly, “let’s clarify a few things. Isn’t it true that Eleanor Dayton asked my client, Harold Grant, to invest in Dayton Enterprises?”Barry didn’t flinch. “No. That’s not true. Harold offered to invest in Dayton Enterprise after he invited her to dinner. She didn’t ask.”Victor raised a brow as if amused. “So she didn’t ask. Interesting. So, would you say your wife... politely declined?”Barry’s eyes narrowed. “She accepted. But again, she didn’t ask him for anything. He made the offer willingly.”Victor gave a small nod. “Of course. He offered, she accepted. And after that, what happened, Mr. Sullivan? Harold was generous enough to invest $10 million in a failing company out of the kindness of his heart… only for you and your wife to turn

Victor Lennox shot up from his seat, his voice cutting through the tension.“Objection! Your Honor, this so-called footage is fabricated—digitally generated to incriminate my client. This is inadmissible!”Katherine didn’t even glance at him. “The video is real, Your Honor. It was retrieved from Mr. Grant’s own surveillance system after he had it wiped clean. We have a digital forensics expert ready to testify to its validity.”The judge’s sharp eyes shifted toward Victor, then back to the screen. "Overruled. The evidence stands."Katherine took a slow breath, and continued. “The last time Barry confronted Harold in his private room, he wasn’t alone. He brought someone with him—Sebastian. And Sebastian… has a rather unique skill set. He can recover deleted files without even using the original operating system. Within minutes, he restored the missing security footage and copied it directly to his phone—before Harold ever knew what was happening.”A ripple of astonishment moved through

Barry’s voice was warm as he stepped closer to the bed.“Yes,” he said softly. “I’m here.”Eleanor slowly pushed herself upright. Her movements was hesitant as she began to test her own strength. Her eyes darted around the room, taking in the pale walls, the steady beeping of the heart monitor, the faint hiss of oxygen from the machine beside her bed.And then, like a flood breaking a dam, the memories came back—the screech of tires, the blinding headlights, the sickening crunch of metal. Her breathing quickened.“How… how long have I been out?” she asked, her voice trembling.Barry hesitated for only a heartbeat. “A month and… a couple of weeks,” he replied. “The doctors said it was a slim chance you’d survive.”Her brows furrowed. “Then… how did I make it?”He allowed a small, noncommittal smile. “Probably a miracle.”Barry wasn’t about to tell her about the golden cat of good fortune—or its shadowed counterpart, the black cat of misfortune. Not now.Instead, he pulled a chair cl