A black SUV rolled to a slow, steady stop in front of a small hotel tucked between two taller, flashier buildings. The vehicle’s dark body gleamed faintly under the dim streetlights. Its engine went quiet, like a predator settling into silence.Before the SUV had fully stopped, the driver’s door swung open. A soldier in uniform jumped out quickly, moving with purpose as he circled around to the rear passenger door. He opened it with sharp precision, then stood at attention; his hand lifted in a firm salute, his heels together, eyes straight ahead. But his hands trembled.From inside the vehicle, a man stepped out calmly.He carried a rugged black backpack over one shoulder. He was tall and strong, wearing a fitted black shirt under a zipped-up tactical jacket. His dark military pants were tucked into heavy combat boots. His presence was unsettling. His thick brown hair fell just low enough to touch his forehead, partly hiding his sharp eyes. A black cap shaded most of his face, almost

The taxi rolled along the sun-scorched road, its tired tires humming beneath John's booted feet. He leaned back into the seat, the worn fabric pressing against his spine as he stared out the window, watching the world blur past. But his mind wasn't on the passing cityscape. No, it was somewhere else entirely.Alfred’s voice replayed in his head. "Your grandfather doesn't have long, John. He’s asked for you… he’s dying."A sneer curved the corner of John Hardwick’s mouth. Dying? So what? The old man could rot for all he cared.He pushed Alfred's words aside like dust from an old coat. He didn’t care. Not anymore. Not after what they did to him. A simple mistake, one lapse in judgment, and they had torn everything away. His name, his legacy, his dignity; vanished overnight. The golden boy, the youngest billionaire in the country, reduced to nothing more than a headline scandal.And what had he done? Just one mistake. One.He had built entire divisions, negotiated mergers that saved the