The massive earthquake continued to tear through the underground parking garage with devastating force. Concrete pillars cracked and groaned under the immense pressure while the floor beneath their feet bucked and heaved like a living thing.Yemin struggled to maintain his balance as the ground shifted violently beneath him. For a split second, his enhanced reflexes failed him as a particularly violent tremor sent him stumbling toward the gaping chasm that had opened in the concrete floor."Now!" Justin Castellanos shouted to Marcus Collins.Both men seized the moment of vulnerability, rushing forward with coordinated precision. Marcus delivered a powerful kick to Yemin's back while Justin struck from the side, sending their opponent tumbling into the jagged opening in the ground."Goodbye, Yemin!" Marcus called out mockingly as Yemin disappeared into the darkness below.The earthquake intensified even further, and another massive tremor shook the already unstable structure. The edges

The only response was silence and the occasional groan of settling debris. No rescue crews, no search teams, no sign that anyone above ground even suspected he might still be alive."Of course," Yemin muttered bitterly. "Everyone thinks I'm dead. Why would they bother looking for a corpse?"The irony wasn't lost on him. Justin Castellanos had probably already started spinning his tale of heroic rescue attempts and tragic failure. The media would eat it up, portraying Justin as a grieving colleague who had done everything possible to save his business rival."That bastard is probably giving interviews right now," Yemin said to himself, trying to maintain his sanity through conversation. "Playing the part of the devastated survivor who couldn't save his dear friend."Hours passed as Yemin worked methodically to find a way out of his underground prison. The debris had settled in a complex pattern that created multiple small pockets of space, but navigating between them required careful p

Across town, in a private office building, three people watched Justin's press conference with growing anger and disgust."That lying piece of shit," Faye Langford said, her voice shaking with fury. "He's standing there acting like he and Yemin were best friends."Marcus Chen's expression was grim as he observed Justin's performance. "He's good, I'll give him that. The media is completely buying his grieving colleague act.""It makes me sick," Marcus Hargrove added, his hands clenched into fists. "We all know Justin Castellanos is responsible for what happened to Yemin.""Of course he is," Faye replied bitterly. "But knowing it and proving it are two different things.""The fact that Yemin hasn't surfaced to contradict any of this..." Marcus Chen said quietly, letting the implication hang in the air."You think he's really dead?" Faye asked, her voice barely above a whisper.Marcus Chen was quiet for a long moment before responding. "I don't want to believe it. But it's been almost a

The morning of Yemin Morgan's funeral dawned gray and overcast, as if the weather itself was mourning the loss of the enigmatic billionaire. Alcat Cemetery had been transformed for the occasion, with hundreds of floral arrangements surrounding an ornate mahogany casket that would soon be lowered into the earth.Justin Castellanos stood at the front of the gathered crowd, his expression a masterpiece of controlled grief. Beside him, other high-ranking members of the Sphinx organization maintained similarly sorrowful facades, playing their roles to perfection."Such a tragic loss," Salvatore Greco said loudly enough for nearby mourners to hear. "Yemin was taken from us far too soon.""A brilliant mind silenced forever," Lorenzo Romano added with theatrical sadness.The hypocrisy was nauseating to anyone who knew the truth, but the assembled crowd of business leaders, politicians, and media representatives bought every word of it.Faye Langford stood toward the back of the gathering, her

"If you came here to kill me, just get it over with," Marcus said with more courage than he felt. "But I'm not signing over Group A to Justin Castellanos.""Kill you?" Marcus Collins shook his head. "That would be wasteful. You're much more valuable alive and cooperative.""I'll never cooperate with murderers," Marcus declared."Never?" Marcus Collins's smile became predatory. "What if I told you that your refusal to cooperate would result in the deaths of several innocent people?""What are you talking about?" Marcus asked, though he already suspected where this was heading."I'm talking about Faye Langford," Marcus Collins said casually. "Pretty woman. Be a shame if something happened to her.""You bastard," Marcus whispered."I'm also talking about your three daughters," Marcus Collins continued with savage pleasure. "Sarah, Jennifer, and little Amy. Such beautiful girls. And their husbands seem like decent men. Good fathers to your grandchildren."Marcus Chen felt his world collap