******The air stood still for a heartbeat—then a wave of sharp gasps erupted from the prisoners like synchronized detonations.Their eyes widened, their mouths parted, and some even staggered back a step.They had all heard it. No one in this godforsaken place hadn’t.Dante Salvatore, the legendary architect of the Crimson Vow Syndicate, was handing over his life's empire... just like that?Just like that?!It was lunacy, madness, and unfathomable.And yet it was real.Shock turned to disbelief. Disbelief to envy. But strangely enough, the envy wasn’t aimed at Glenn—the young man standing still as stone, his arms lazily folded and gaze impassive.No.They envied Dante Salvatore.Yes. The old devil himself, as though he’d just scored the rarest treasure in existence.It was an absurd thing to envy the man who was essentially giving away his blood, sweat, and legacy. And yet, they understood.Oh, they understood too well. Because while he was offering the full weight of hi

******"Just drop me off at the outskirts of the city," Glenn Avery finally spoke, breaking the long, contemplative silence that had shrouded him ever since the convoy began its journey.His voice was low, unhurried, and laced with a detached serenity, but the weight behind those simple words was enough to startle the driver and the sharply dressed man seated beside him in the front passenger seat—the leader of the security convoy.The two exchanged quick glances, the leader arching an eyebrow."Master Glenn, do you have a business you wish to attend to personally? We could wait nearby or escort you directly and then proceed to your hotel afterward," the man asked cautiously.Glenn didn’t answer immediately.Instead, he shifted his gaze to the window, silently watching the cityscape blur past.What was once familiar had now transformed into a bustling metropolis of lights and motion. The buildings were taller, the roads were sleeker, and the billboards flashed products and star

******Irene remained seated on the bed in silence, her body stiff, her gaze fixed blankly ahead.Even after Glenn had finished recounting the entire night’s events in detail, she sat there like a statue carved from confusion and disbelief.His bold words, dripping in shameless self-praise, barely registered in her ears. She didn’t even flinch at his ego-fueled declarations. Instead, her mind spun in a turbulent whirlwind of shock, piecing together every word, every clue, every hazy memory.‘Drugged? Me?’‘How?’Her heart continued to pound against her chest with increasing intensity.Her eyebrows furrowed so tightly that they seemed stitched together, and the beginnings of a deep crease burrowed into her forehead.‘Who could’ve done that? Why would anyone go that far?’ Her thoughts scattered like shattered glass, impossible to gather.‘I didn’t even eat anything strange… I never touch food from—‘She suddenly froze, something seeming to click in.In the next second, Irene’

******At this very moment, the entire room was frozen in disbelief.No one moved.No one breathed.No one even dared to blink.Their eyes remained glued—glued to the incredibly handsome but lean man.Glenn.Right now, he was standing smack-dab in the center of the chaos he had just created, looking as if he hadn’t exerted the slightest bit of effort.His breathing was calm, his stance was very relaxed, and not even his hair was out of place.It was unnatural, as though he hadn’t moved even a finger.Every soul present stared at him dazedly for what felt like an eternity, as if they had just witnessed something otherworldly.Their minds refused to comprehend what had just unfolded before them.Just a moment ago, four towering bodyguards—each of whom was built like mountains and trained to subdue threats at any cost had lunged at Glenn like starving wolves.Their combined presence alone was enough to send most people trembling. Their bulging biceps, their coordinated movem

******Of course, Irene knew… she knew with an unsettling certainty that this was no mere twist of fate.How could such an absurd coincidence even exist, to begin with? Two unrelated couples not only sharing identical first names and last names but also residing in the same city? The sheer improbability of it all screamed at her.There was no way… no logical way.Her breath hitched, and her thoughts, previously sharp, had unraveled into a tangled, chaotic storm.For what felt like a lifetime, she stood frozen in a stupor, mentally adrift and consumed by dread.Years ago, her family had sent her overseas for her studies, cutting her off from much of the happenings back home. She hadn’t returned until recently—this year, in fact. Because of that long absence, she had never once laid eyes on her so-called “brother-in-law.”And yet… here he was, right in front of her.Her heart thundered in her chest, slamming violently against her ribs. She slowly and hesitantly lifted her gaze,