Phillip stared at his trapped wrist in disbelief. He pulled against Ava's grip, his face reddening with effort."Let go of me!" He yanked harder, his whole body straining. "What the hell is this thing?"But Ava's grip remained steady. Phillip planted his feet and pulled with everything he had, his muscles bulging, sweat beading on his forehead. Nothing. His wrist might as well have been clamped in a steel vise."I said let go!" Phillip's voice cracked with frustration and something that might have been fear.Michael couldn't help himself. A snort of laughter escaped.Phillip's eyes snapped to him. "What the hell are you laughing at?""Nothing," Michael said, but he was still smiling. After years of being pushed around by guys like Phillip, seeing one of them completely helpless was oddly satisfying.Phillip's face twisted with fury. "You think this is funny?" He swung his free hand at Michael's face.But before the punch could land, Ava's other hand shot out and caught Phillip's wrist

The coffee shop had gone completely silent. Michael continued staring at his phone screen, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing. Thirty million dollars. In his account. Right now.Adam was still grinning, mistaking Michael's shock for fear. "What's wrong, Sullivan? Cat got your tongue? Let me guess – you don't even have fifty bucks to your name."Michael looked up from his phone, and Adam must have seen something different in his expression because his grin faltered slightly."Actually," Michael said, his voice steadier than he felt, "I was just thinking that an apology isn't enough anymore.""What?""I want you to sell me the coffee shop too."The crowd gasped. Adam's face went from confident to confused to outraged in the span of three seconds."Are you out of your bloody mind?" Adam sputtered. "Sell you the shop? With what money?""The money in my account.""You don't have any money!""Want to bet?"Adam's laughter was forced now, edged with nervousness. "Fine. You kno

The Medici mansion looked even more imposing in daylight. As they approached the front door, Ava walked beside him with that perfect posture that made Michael worry about his own."Remember," Michael whispered, "you're just a friend. And, uh, act human please.""Understood," said Ava with a nod.The door opened before they could knock. Frank's stern-faced butler looked them up and down."Master Michael," the butler said with barely concealed disdain. "Good morning," Michael said with a stiff nod. "I came to see Frank. Is he in?'""Master Frank is not receiving visitors today," said the Butler."Tell him it's about his gift," Michael replied firmly.The butler's expression didn't change, but he stepped aside. "Wait in the main parlor. I'll inquire if he's available."The parlor was immaculate. The walls and floors were made of dark wood, expensive paintings, and very elegant furniture. But it wasn't empty. Victoria Medici sat on one of the leather couches, her perfectly styled hair c

Michael's phone buzzed insistently at 6:47 AM, jolting him awake. He'd managed to calm Alexis down the night before, convincing him there was no need to fly to Denver City, but now his phone screen showed a nightmare of red notification badges. "What the hell?" he muttered, squinting at the bright display. His social media apps showed hundreds of mentions, his text messages were flooded, and his email inbox had exploded overnight. Ava emerged from the living room. "Good morning, Michael. I've been monitoring the situation. We have a problem." "What kind of problem?" Michael groaned. "The coffee shop incident is trending." Her voice carried a note of concern. "Your siblings have weaponized social media against you." Michael's fingers flew across his phone screen, opening Twitcher first. The trending hashtag #FakeMediaHeir sat at number three nationwide, with over 200K tweets. His heart sank as he scrolled through the posts. @MeiZhouOfficial: "EXPOSED: My so-called 'brother' Michae

Michael studied Ava's profile. "You seem different. Are you okay?"Ava turned to face him, and Michael could see the strain in her features. It was subtle, but definitely there. "I am operating at 73% efficiency. The digital attacks from your siblings are requiring significant processing power to counter. Additionally, monitoring threats from Phillip, tracking the false investigators, and maintaining our financial security protocols is taxing my systems.""What does that mean exactly?" Michael asked."It means I need to enter a low-power mode soon, or risk system failure," Ava clarified. "I estimate I can maintain current operations for another four hours before requiring emergency shutdown."Michael felt panic rise in his chest. "How long would you need to recharge?""Minimum eight hours for basic functionality. Twelve hours for full capacity.""Eight hours..." Michael ran his hands through his hair. "Ava, I can't protect myself for eight hours. Not with everything that's happening."