The leather seat felt too soft for someone who still had rainwater in his shoes. Adrian sat frozen as the black car purred away from the curb, the city blurring into streaks of neon and shadow outside the tinted windows.Across from him sat the silver haired man who’d delivered the letter. His posture was perfect, his expression unreadable like someone who’d spent years being paid not to feel."My name is Grayson Hale," the man said. "I am the legal executor of the late Chairman Orion Cole’s estate. Your grandfather."Adrian let out a short, bitter laugh. "I don’t have a grandfather. At least, not one who gives a damn." Grayson didn’t blink. "You do now. He passed away three days ago. And as per his will, everything he owned, every company, every property, every account is now yours."Adrian leaned back, his chest tight. The words sounded like they belonged in a movie, not his life. "Why me?"Grayson’s eyes flicked to him for the first time. "Because you are the last living heir. An

The Aston’s tires screamed against the polished concrete as Grayson floored it, weaving between burning wreckage and scattering security guards. Smoke swallowed the garage, turning the air into a choking haze."Who the hell was that?" Adrian shouted over the roar of the engine. Grayson’s eyes stayed on the narrowing path ahead. "Not here. Hold on."The ramp to the street loomed, the glow of fire dancing in the rearview mirror. A second explosion tore through the garage, flinging chunks of metal that rattled off the car’s armored body. Armored. Adrian filed that detail away and didn’t want to know how Grayson had gotten it ready so fast.They burst into the rain slicked streets, the city a blur of lights and sirens. Grayson made a hard turn, tires hissing across the asphalt, before plunging into a side alley. "Switch seats," Grayson barked. "What?""Do it." Adrian scrambled into the driver’s seat as Grayson pulled a matte black pistol from under his coat. He cracked the window just eno

They arrived with the smell of salt and rust heavy in the air. Cargo containers loomed like silent sentinels under the glow of flickering floodlights. At the center of it all was a massive warehouse, its steel doors standing open like the mouth of a beast.Inside, the scene was almost surreal. Dozens of people, all dressed in the kind of wealth you couldn’t fake, tailored suits, glittering jewelry, cold eyes that had seen too much. They stood in small clusters, whispering, watching.And at the far end, raised on a makeshift platform, stood the masked figure from the garage, the Ace of Spades.Adrian’s eyes swept the crowd. There she was. Bella Frost. She looked even more polished than before, her champagne blonde hair catching the harsh light. When her gaze met his, her lips curved into a slow, knowing smile.Grayson leaned in. "Don’t let her pull you off balance.""I’m not here for her," Adrian replied. But his fists still clenched. The masked figure’s voice boomed, distorted by a sm

Adrian’s eyes darted between Emily on the catwalk and the locked briefcase in the cage. The air in the sub-basement felt thick, every breath heavy with the scent of rust and seawater."Don’t think too long," Bella called, her voice dripping with mock sympathy. "People choke faster than you expect."Emily’s wide, terrified eyes locked onto his. "Adrian." Her voice cracked, swallowed by the hollow echo of the chamber.The Ace of Spades tilted their head, almost like they were studying a specimen in a lab. "Every player must decide what they value most. Will it be victory… or sentiment?"Grayson’s hand gripped Adrian’s shoulder. "They’re testing you. Saving her might put you out of the Game completely. But winning the challenge keeps you in and gives you the power to save her later."Adrian’s jaw tightened. "Or we find a way to do both." Grayson’s expression didn’t change, but there was a flicker in his eyes approval, maybe. Adrian took a step toward the cage. "I’ll play your game," he s

The photo on Adrian’s phone burned into his vision. Timestamp: 3 minutes ago. Taken from inside his penthouse. Emily was asleep on the couch in the shot, head resting on the armrest, blanket tucked neatly under her chin. But that wasn’t what made Adrian’s pulse spike.It was the figure standing behind her. A tall, shadowed silhouette, leaning just close enough that if he’d been there in person, Adrian could’ve heard the whisper in Emily’s ear."Grayson!" Adrian barked, voice edged with urgency.The older man moved instantly, crossing the room to stand at his side. His eyes flicked to the phone, then to the couch. Emily was still there. Still asleep. The blanket was exactly as in the picture. Except now there was no one standing over her."Stay here," Grayson said sharply, already moving toward the kitchen with the smooth, silent steps of someone who’d done this a thousand times before.Adrian didn’t wait. He swept the balcony doors first locked. Windows sealed. The entire perimeter wa