The heavy flatbed truck drove in absolute silence for nearly three hours, pushing far out of the city limits, climbing up the winding mountain roads into a desolate, foggy region.The truck finally ground to a halt at a massive, isolated construction site owned directly by the Colton Conglomerate. It was a vast, sprawling territory of cleared earth, towering dirt hills, and heavy yellow excavators, surrounded by high chain-link fences. The actual construction of the massive foundation had barely even started.Inside a temporary, air-conditioned glass office trailer overlooking the mud fields, Gerald Colton stood by the window, sipping a glass of iced water.His satellite phone rang. He picked it up immediately."Sir, we have arrived at the mountain site," Warren’s deep voice reported over the speaker. "The package has arrived safely.""Good," Colton said, his dark eyes staring out at the foggy construction yard. "Make sure every single one of them is completely asleep, Warren. Confirm

Thomas looked down at his grip on Warren’s ankle, then glanced into the dark corner of the flatbed where Nancy was tucked securely behind the packing crate. In an instant, his mind connected the dots. The chief bodyguard hadn't been climbing onto the truck to search for weapons or check the payload—he had been crawling back there to snatch Nancy while Clara and Dorian were occupied in the yard outside."You bastard!" Thomas growled, his voice dropping into a dangerous, dark rumbling. "What is it with you people and targeting children?!"He shifted his weight, tucking Nancy even more neatly behind the cardboard crate to shield her from any stray blows. He turned back around, rolling his heavy shoulders as he faced Warren. "I am going to teach you a lesson you'll never—"BOOM! BOOM! THWACK!Before Thomas could finish his sentence, Warren exploded upward with terrifying speed! Driven by desperate survival instincts, the chief bodyguard delivered three brutal, lightning-fast strikes: two

"What is the meaning of this?!" Colton snapped, setting his glass down sharply. "I am on a private call!""S-Sir!" the lead guard stammered, gasping for breath as he clutched his sidearm. "We... we just received urgent emergency information from the mountain site! The... the men stationed at the location, including Chief Bodyguard Warren... have all been completely incapacitated!"Gerald Colton froze solid. The glass in his hand nearly slipped from his fingers."What?!" Colton demanded, his voice rising in disbelief. "Incapacitated?! Warren is a master martial artist trained in seven different countries! He had a hundred armed men with him!""All the men are down, sir!" the guard reported in pure panic. "And... and it seems like the girl's mother is currently heading straight to this building! She—"Before the guard could finish his sentence, the communicator on his shoulder burst into frantic, screaming static!"SHE'S IN THE LOBBY!" a voice shrieked over the radio! "SHE'S IN THE ELEV

The shattered glass of the gilded family portrait rained down around Gerald Colton’s heavy leather shoes. The billionaire lay sprawled on the polished hardwood floor, gasping for air, his chest heaving as the sheer impact of Clara’s fist resonated through his entire body. Every single rib felt bruised, his expensive tailored suit was ruined, and the dark, pristine air of his high-rise office was thick with the smell of dust, ozone, and copper.For a brief, terrifying second, Colton couldn't breathe. The oxygen had been violently punched out of his lungs.What... what is she?! Colton’s mind screamed in absolute, frantic horror as he clutched his stomach.He was not just a politician or a businessman who sat behind a desk playing with numbers. In his youth, before he built his multi-billion-dollar empire, Gerald Colton had been a brutal, seasoned fighter. He had clawed his way up through back-alley brawl pits, private syndicate rings, and corporate shadow wars. He had killed men with hi

Driven by the primitive, frantic urge to survive, Colton dragged himself through the shattered office doors, crawling out into the private hallway."Help..." Colton rasped, blood bubbling from his lips as he pulled his broken body across the marble tiles. "Help me... somebody... help me..."He reached the grand marble staircase leading down to the front entrance courtyard of the Colton Tower. Desperate to create any distance between himself and the nightmare behind him, Colton threw himself down the stairs, tumbling down twenty marble steps!THUD! THUD! CRASH!He landed heavily at the bottom of the stairs, crashing onto the cold, wet stone of the outdoor driveway, his blood pooling on the grey sand and gravel.Outside, the rain beat down steadily.Parked right in front of the grand entrance was Phyna's black armored SUV. Standing by the side of the vehicle were Dorian and Thomas.Hearing the loud crash, both men turned their heads, watching the broken, blood-soaked billionaire groan i