The opulent foyer of Karvel's estate seemed to dwarf Leo Romano's imposing presence as he stood surrounded by crystal chandeliers and imported marble that spoke of wealth beyond most people's imagination.His security detail spread out through the entrance hall like a pack of predators, but even their intimidating presence seemed diminished by the mansion's overwhelming luxury."You're wasting your time coming here, Leo," Karvel said with calm certainty, his voice echoing off the high ceilings."There's absolutely nothing you can do to remove me from this property."Leo's face flushed red with rage at this casual dismissal of his authority. "Nothing I can do? You pathetic nobody! I own this city!""Apparently not as much as you thought," Karvel replied with maddening composure, gesturing toward the estate's opulent surroundings. "Otherwise I wouldn't be standing here, would I?"The arrogance is breathtaking, Leo thought with growing fury. How does this worthless parasite still have th

"Lady, your boy toy is tied up in our warehouse right now."The voice replied with mocking amusement."He's got some serious damage, and it's gonna get a lot worse if you don't cooperate.""I don't believe you," Vivian insisted, though her voice carried a note of growing uncertainty. "Karvel can take care of himself.""Can he now?" the caller laughed harshly."We'll see how tough he is after we're done with him."Vivian immediately called Sophia, her hands trembling as she dialed the familiar number."Sophia, please tell me Karvel didn't actually go to confront Sebastian Sterling," she said the moment her friend answered."Oh God," Sophia's voice filled with horror."Vivian, he called me two hours ago. He said he was going to try to negotiate with Sterling on your behalf. I tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't listen!"He really did it, Vivian realized with growing panic.That noble idiot actually tried to save me."They say they have him," Vivian whispered into the phone."Se

The Romano estate's private study had become a war room filled with financial documents, corporate filings, and surveillance reports as Leo paced behind his desk like a caged predator.Three days of intensive investigation into Warrington Corporation had yielded nothing but frustration and dead ends."Nothing!" Leo roared, sweeping a stack of reports off his desk with violent force."How is it possible that a corporation worth billions leaves no paper trail?"Thompson stood at attention near the office door, his usual composure showing cracks under his employer's escalating rage."Sir, we've exhausted every conventional investigative avenue. Warrington Corporation appears to be structured through multiple shell companies and offshore entities.""Shell companies don't own forty-story buildings in downtown Carson City!" Leo snapped, his face flushing red with mounting frustration."Someone with serious money is behind this, and I want to know who!"Three days of investigation and we're

The fog-shrouded intersection had become a battlefield littered with the broken bodies of Enzo's foot soldiers, but the five remaining enforcers stood with the confident bearing of men who had faced death in foreign wars and lived to tell about it."Hold up there, Sterling," called out the leader, a scarred veteran named Captain Marcus "Steel" Romano, his voice carrying the authority of someone accustomed to command."Before you get any ideas about finishing us off like those street punks, you should know what you're dealing with."Sebastian paused in his advance, his predatory instincts immediately recognizing something different about these final opponents."We ain't common thugs like the rest of Calabrese's crew," Steel continued with professional pride."We're out-of-state mercenaries, ex-special forces, military contractors. Enzo paid serious money to bring us in for jobs like this."These five move differently, Sebastian observed with growing wariness.isciplined formations, pro

The silence in Vivian's destroyed penthouse was deafening as Sebastian Sterling struggled to his feet, blood seeping through his expensive shirt from the bullet wound in his shoulder.Enzo Calabrese's lifeless body lay sprawled across her Persian rug, surrounded by shattered glass and splintered furniture."Sebastian, wait!" Vivian called out desperately as he moved toward her shattered front door."You're bleeding! You need medical attention!""I'll be fine," Sebastian replied curtly, not turning back to face her."The wound isn't serious.""Are you insane?" Vivian's voice cracked with disbelief."You took a bullet! Let me call an ambulance, or at least let me drive you to the hospital!""No hospitals," Sebastian said with cold finality, pausing at the doorframe. "And no questions about what happened here tonight."Why is he refusing help? Vivian wondered frantically. And why did he save me in the first place?"Sebastian, please," she tried again, but he was already disappearing into