Harry left TechNova late that evening, exhaustion weighing on him like a physical burden.The streetlights cast long shadows across the parking lot as he walked toward his car, his mind still churning with project timelines and equipment lists.He was halfway to his vehicle when his danger sense suddenly flared—that familiar tightness in his chest, the warning that something was wrong.Harry spun around just as a figure lunged at him from behind a parked van. The attacker wore dark clothes and a mask, moving with practiced efficiency. Harry's instincts took over immediately, his body reacting before his mind could fully process the threat.He ducked under the first swing—something metallic glinted in the attacker's hand, maybe a pipe or a bat. Harry countered with a sharp elbow to the attacker's ribs, then swept his leg out to knock the figure off balance.But instead of continuing the fight, the attacker stumbled backward, then suddenly turned and ran."Hey!" Harry shouted, starting

Frank Solomon sat in his home office, surrounded by financial statements that painted a grim picture. His hands trembled slightly as he reviewed the numbers for the third time, hoping somehow they'd change. They didn't.Solomon Industries was dying.The accounts were hemorrhaging money. Revenue had dropped forty percent in the last quarter. Major clients were terminating contracts. The stock price had plummeted. And worst of all, employees were abandoning ship—key executives, experienced engineers, even administrative staff. Everyone could see the writing on the wall."Damn it," Frank muttered, throwing the papers across his desk.He remembered the last time the company had faced bankruptcy. He'd been desperate then too, and had solved the problem by funneling dirty money into the accounts—profits from his involvement with the Vultures, the criminal organization that had provided him with both funds and connections.But the Vultures were gone now, arrested in a massive federal raid th

Frank stared at Michael and Gage, his mind struggling to process what they'd just proposed. "Wait, I don't understand. How is partnering with TechNova going to save my company? And more importantly, why would TechNova want to partner with a company that's literally on the verge of bankruptcy? What's in it for you?"Michael leaned back in his chair, his expression calm and measured. "Solomon Industries still has valuable assets—patents, existing contracts, manufacturing facilities. Those things have worth, even if the company as a whole is failing.""But not enough worth to justify a rescue operation," Frank pressed. "There has to be more to this."Gage spoke up, his voice firm. "Frank, you're overcomplicating this. Mr. Chen is offering you a lifeline. Whether you take it or not is your decision, but stop looking for hidden motives in every act of help.""I'm not looking for hidden motives," Frank replied defensively. "I'm trying to understand the business logic. No successful CEO take

Mona sat frozen in the café, her coffee growing cold as her mind raced through the implications of what she'd just overheard. Michael Chen ran TechNova, one of the biggest tech companies in the region. Everyone knew that. But the conversation between Michael and Gage had revealed something she hadn't known—there was another company in play, one that apparently also belonged to Michael."Wait," Mona whispered to herself, replaying the conversation in her mind. "They were talking about Solomon Industries. The merger. That means..."She pulled out her phone and quickly searched for information about Solomon Industries. The search results confirmed her suspicions—it was Frank Solomon's company, the one currently facing bankruptcy. And according to what she'd overheard, it was about to be acquired by TechNova.But more importantly, they'd said Harry was the heir. If Michael Chen owned both companies—or was about to—and Harry was the heir, that meant Harry stood to inherit a business empire

The meeting ended, and Harry immediately stood up, gathering his materials with sharp, angry movements. He wanted to get out of that conference room as quickly as possible, away from Frank, away from this nightmare situation he'd been forced into.But before he could reach the door, Frank approached him with an infuriatingly casual smile."Harry! Hold on a second," Frank said, his tone friendly in a way that made Harry's skin crawl.Harry stopped but didn't turn around. "What do you want, Frank?""I just wanted to say that I'm looking forward to working with you," Frank continued, moving to stand in Harry's path. "You're really good at this tech stuff, right? So I know you'll do your best to make sure this project is a huge success."Harry slowly turned to face Frank, his eyes cold with barely contained fury. "You think this is a game, don't you?""What? No, I'm being serious—""You don't know anything about technology," Harry interrupted. "You've never built anything meaningful in yo