Agnes sat in the backseat of her sleek black sedan, eyes fixated on the passing lights as the city blurred past her window. The smile that played on her lips was subtle but deadly. She had done it again. Another successful manipulation, another secret uncovered, another profitable move made without lifting a gun or raising her voice.She had found out about a hidden clause buried deep in one of the Raymond estate’s offshore contracts. The kind of clause that only a trained eye could catch and only a trained mind could exploit. And exploit it she did.But now it was time to return—not just to her lavish reality but to the inner circle that had remained invisible to the rest of the empire. A council of betrayal. A group of ambitious, brilliant, and dangerously forsaken individuals determined to see the Raymond dynasty brought to its knees.Her destination was a familiar one. A grand five-star hotel tucked in the heart of the city. Ironically, it was a Raymond property, one of their flags

The sun had begun to tilt westward, casting soft gold over the ranch when John and his grandfather walked quietly toward a shed near the estate’s private stadium. Compared to the lavish halls of the Raymond mansion, the shed was modest—wooden beams, earthy scent of hay, a faint scent of polish and leather—but it was functional and, oddly enough, warm in its simplicity. A small table sat between two well-worn chairs, and on it were two tall mugs and a jug of chilled beer that the chief butler had placed there just before leaving them in peace.John’s grandfather sighed as he lowered himself into one of the chairs, stretching his back slightly as though releasing the weight of old years. He glanced over to John and motioned toward the drink.“Sit, John. And tell me what’s bothering you.”John sat down heavily, his thoughts still turning over the last twenty-four hours. He reached for the mug in front of him and took a deep gulp, letting the cool bitterness settle the tightness in his ch

The grand auction hall buzzed with muted murmurs and low laughter as the attendees—all paragons of old money, tech tycoons, media moguls, oil barons, and aristocrats—moved to their assigned seats. Each person carried the air of untouchable wealth, their expressions stoic yet proud, as though being there was both a privilege and an expectation.John stood at the back of the room, ticket in hand, slowly growing uncomfortable.Everyone else had located their seats with ease. Each chair was marked clearly with the corresponding code found on the guest’s invitation. But John, despite scanning the rows twice over, found no chair bearing his number. His eyes flicked over the crowd, hoping perhaps someone had taken his seat by mistake. There was, however, one vacant chair left in the entire room—a plain, metallic seat near the door with no tag or designation.He hesitated.Somewhere in the shadows of the hall, King watched through a discreet surveillance feed, a glass of dark liquor in hand an

King rushed downstairs to check what caused such noise and was frightened by the scene his eyes saw.He was very over it that he almost collapsed. This was not his first time being in a scene like this, but he knew better than to get his hands this dirty againHe wondered how this kind of thing could happen even after all the security measures he put in place. King turned away from the scenes and took a deep breath He knew that this was an attack from the people who hated him, and he knew just how to handle them. He asked the compere to announce to everyone that everything was fine and it was just a mistake that happened between the staff The compere was still in a state of shock as everything happened right before his eyes, the fall and the landing of the body were all very new world to him King walked up to him and slapped him “Get a fucking hold of your self and give the announcement or you are going to serve lifetime imprisonment for murder, do you get me !” King said firmly t

“It’s gone!” The man in the gold outfit’s voice tore through the room like a crack of thunder. His shock was genuine, his anger unfiltered. He had been ready to pay any price for the legendary Vase of Eternity, hoping its promise of eternal life could restore his family’s legacy and heal the wounds of the past. Now, staring into the empty box, that hope collapsed like a house of cards.“How can ten ounces of gold-plated vase just vanish like that?” King’s voice rang out, incredulous. He moved forward quickly, pushing aside two ushers to look inside the case himself. His reaction was even more explosive. “Security! Close the gates! We are not leaving here until the vase is found!” His command cracked with authority, his anger barely contained.The security guards stationed near the doors didn’t hesitate. They moved swiftly, their polished shoes clicking on the marble floor, sliding the heavy gates shut.“Close the gates?” The young CEO, dressed in sleek black with diamonds glittering a