Jaden’s lips curved into a faint, mocking smile. His voice was calm, but it carried the kind of authority that silenced a room. He fixed his gaze on Douglas and said slowly, “You really are an interesting man. When I tried to talk sense into you, you chose violence. Now that I’ve decided to show you what violence really means, you suddenly want to talk reason.”The corner of Kaelus’s mouth twitched upward. He turned to Douglas and his men and let out a sharp scoff. “You people have the nerve to call yourselves soldiers? You act like street thugs and still expect respect? Pathetic.”The words hit Douglas harder than a bullet. His fists clenched, his jaw tightened. His face flushed with anger, but deep inside, a knot of humiliation formed.Douglas Hayes was the Captain of the Reserve Army. In rank, he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Kaelus. But everyone in that room knew there was a world of difference between them. Kaelus wasn’t just an officer—he was an active member of the Crimson Un

The color drained from Douglas’s face the moment Kaelus spoke those words. His heart skipped a beat, and a cold shiver ran down his spine. Every instinct screamed that something terrible was coming.Kaelus’s expression didn’t change. Calm. Controlled. Deadly. He placed the phone on speaker and extended it toward Douglas. “Here,” he said, his voice almost too casual. “You should take this.”Douglas stared at the phone as if it were a loaded weapon. His palms were slick with sweat, his fingers trembling. He didn’t dare refuse. Not when the call was already connected… and not when it was Butcher Makan on the other end.He swallowed hard, forced a breath, and took the phone. “S–Sir,” he stammered, “this is Captain Douglas Hayes speaking.”From the other end came a voice that shook the air like thunder.“Hayes!”The single word carried so much force that Douglas almost dropped the phone. He straightened up instinctively, his body going rigid. “Sir! I’m here!” he blurted, voice cracking und

After that, Jaden didn’t spare them another glance. He turned and walked out with Kaelus and Morix, his calm stride echoing through the hall like a final statement.The Crimson Unit soldiers followed in disciplined formation. Boots struck the floor in rhythm, their weapons steady and gleaming under the fluorescent lights. Every man they passed stepped aside instinctively.As the last soldier exited, the heavy doors swung shut behind them, sealing the air of dominance and fear they’d carried in.For a long moment, no one moved. Then, as if the entire hall exhaled together, the crowd let out a collective sigh of relief.The oppressive tension that had gripped everyone began to loosen, replaced by a storm of whispers.“Who the hell was that man?” someone muttered near the back.“Why would the Crimson Unit come here for just two people?” another asked in disbelief.“Did you see how even Colonel Brown didn’t dare talk back?”The questions multiplied like sparks in dry grass. Everyone wante

Going public was every company’s dream — the ultimate sign of success, growth, and legitimacy. For Rift Corporation, it wasn’t just a dream anymore. It was the next step in rewriting the family legacy.Selena blinked in surprise, her eyes wide with both excitement and doubt. “Go public? Jaden, that’s not easy. It takes years of preparation and approval. Can we actually pull that off?”Jaden leaned back in his chair, calm and confident. “The regulations have changed,” he said. “On the STAR Market, the process is faster now. As long as the company meets the requirements, approval is mostly procedural. Leave the heavy lifting to me.”He gave her a reassuring smile. “You just handle the paperwork and compliance documents. I’ll take care of the rest — applications, approvals, and the connections to push it through.”Selena looked at him for a moment, studying his face. She knew he never made promises he couldn’t keep. That quiet certainty in his tone steadied her nerves. Finally, she nodde

Jane’s smirk grew the moment she saw Jaden still waiting patiently in that old Polo. She glanced at Morganna, then leaned closer, seizing the moment.“Morganna,” she said sweetly, though her tone was laced with mockery, “remember our old classmate Obama? He said he’d pick us up today since he found out we were coming to Ironvale City. Why don’t you tell your brother-in-law to head home? We can just go with Obama instead. We have our class reunion tonight anyway.”Before Morganna could even respond, the roar of an engine cut through the air.A sleek, silver Maserati GranTurismo came speeding down the lane. The engine’s deep growl turned heads as the car drifted smoothly to a stop right in front of them, the tires screeching slightly before falling silent.The door opened, and out stepped a man in his late twenties wearing a dark Armani suit that looked freshly tailored. His hair was slicked back, his posture confident, and the gleam of his Rolex caught the sunlight as he adjusted his c