The bitter metallic taste of blood filled Ethan Blake’s mouth as he lay sprawled across the marble floor of his father’s office.The chandelier above him spun wildly in his dimming vision, casting fractured shards of light on the polished walls. His hand twitched toward his side, pressing weakly against the stab wound in his abdomen. Warm blood pooled beneath him, soaking into his once-pristine white shirt.“I didn’t want it to end like this, brother,” a familiar voice murmured above him.Ethan blinked, trying to focus. The shadow looming over him took the shape of his half-brother, Marcus Blake—smiling down at him like a vulture.“You should’ve stayed out of the boardroom. You were never meant to lead.”“M-Marcus...you…” Ethan coughed violently, blood bubbling from his lips.Marcus crouched beside him, his voice laced with mock sympathy. “You built Blake International into a powerhouse. I’ll give you that. But you were too soft. Too naive. You actually believed they cared about you.”

The sun had barely risen when Ethan stepped off the metro and into the bustling core of the city. A cold wind knifed through his thin jacket, but he barely noticed. His mind was fixed on one thing: building his empire, brick by brick.LuxSol’s shares had tripled in value overnight, and his growing investment portfolio was now officially worth over $10,000.But it wasn’t about the money.It was about the statement.The power.And the revenge.He took a deep breath and looked up at the tall silver building before him—Atlas Venture Capital.Ten years from now, it would be one of the most corrupt firms in the country, responsible for engineering financial collapses that ruined thousands of lives—including his.Now, it was still hungry, aggressive, and greedy.Just the kind of monster Ethan could feed and leash.Atlas LobbyThe interior was glass and marble, cold and clinical. The receptionist barely looked up when Ethan walked in.“Do you have an appointment?”“No,” Ethan said, adjusting

The message echoed in Ethan’s mind long after the screen dimmed.“You’re walking into the lion’s mouth. Be careful who you trust.”No name. No number. Just a warning.Ethan paced his office, fingers clenching and unclenching. The skyline blinked like a battalion of watching eyes.He had allies. He had a plan. But the ghosts of the past weren’t just watching—they were moving.And someone was already too close.Flashback – Ten Years AgoThe ballroom had glimmered with gold and crystal, packed with business magnates and trust fund children.Sixteen-year-old Ethan had stood awkwardly in a too-tight tux, holding a glass of water while Cassandra charmed the future of the Blake Empire.That night, Marcus had introduced him to Victor Rane—a man with dead eyes and the aura of a viper.“Your son has potential,” Victor had said. “But he’s soft.”Marcus had laughed. “That’s why I keep him in the background. He’s not built for blood.”Ethan had heard every word.That was the night he realized some

The sun hadn’t risen, but the city already stirred, restless and unaware of the silent war building beneath its surface.Ethan Blake stood in front of the full-length mirror in his private quarters, shirt unbuttoned, staring at the surgical scar that ran behind his right ear. He’d never paid attention to it before—just one of many from his accident-riddled youth. But now he knew it was a mark of control.His hand hovered over the scar.A prototype.That’s what Arden had called him. Not a patient. Not a survivor. A human experiment embedded with a dormant trigger that could rewrite his will, override his thoughts, even steal his memories.Behind him, Zara leaned in the doorway, her expression softening.“You haven’t slept,” she said.“No time for sleep,” Ethan replied. “Not when I might not be in control of my own mind.”She stepped closer. “We’ll figure this out. The implant hasn’t activated—yet. But we need to extract it before it does.”He nodded slowly, turning to face her. “How lo

The stolen hoverbike carved a path through Shanghai’s underbelly like a ghost on fire, dodging towers, neon signs, and surveillance drones. Ethan clung tightly behind Aria, his pulse still racing from the rooftop ambush. His thoughts spun, not just from the adrenaline, but from the hologram of his mother and the looming truth: the Omega Archive could destroy Helix from within.If he could reach it.And if it didn’t destroy him first."Are we clear?" Ethan called over the wind."More or less," Aria replied, eyes focused. "But Blackout units don’t stop. They’re programmed to chase until they lose their bodies."Ethan looked back. No pursuers yet—but that meant little."Where the hell did you come from?" he asked.Aria smirked. "Jayden sent me. Said you'd run headfirst into a death trap. He wasn’t wrong.""I had help," Ethan said. "From someone who knew my mother. She gave me the coordinates to Orion."Aria glanced sideways. "Orion’s not just coordinates. It’s a death sentence.""Then we