Daniel stayed quiet waiting to hear what she had to say. "I think Helen is actually good for you." That almost made him smile, almost, Maggie shook her head. "I hate admitting that." A small laugh escaped Daniel. The first genuine laugh of the conversation. And surprisingly, it made her smile too. For a few moments they simply sat there. Not as lovers, not as enemies, just two people sharing the final chapter of something that once mattered. Then Maggie asked softly, "Do you hate me you know, after everything I did?" Daniel looked genuinely surprised. "No." The answer came instantly. Too honestly to be fake. Maggie's chest tightened slightly. "Really?" Daniel nodded. "I was simply hurt." there was a pause, he added, "Very hurt." She looked down. "I know." "But hate?" he continued. "No." Silence settled between them. Then Daniel added quietly— "I loved you too much to hate you." That nearly broke her. Because years ago she would have

The private jet touched down smoothly on the Riverage City runway just after sunrise. The moment the wheels met the ground, Steven Kahuna's honeymoon officially ended. For three weeks, Hawaii had allowed him to become something rare. A husband, a man in love. A man who could spend entire afternoons doing absolutely nothing except enjoying Jennifer's company. Now? Riverage was waiting. And Riverage never waited quietly. The aircraft taxied toward the private terminal while Steven stared through the cabin window at the distant skyline. Something felt wrong. Not wrong enough to explain. But wrong enough to notice. Jennifer noticed the look on his face immediately. "There it is." Steven glanced at her. "What?" "That expression." "What expression?" "The one that makes billionaires nervous." A faint smile appeared briefly before disappearing again. Jennifer sighed. "Hawaii lasted exactly until the landing gear touched the ground." "That's not true

It's been three weeks, twenty-one days since armed men had stormed the Finnegan Estate. Three weeks since Cassandra Finnegan had watched death walk through her father's place of abode. Three weeks since Princewill had stared into the eyes of a man who seemed to know him far better than he should. A man who smiled, a man who spoke as though they were old acquaintances... a man who vanished before anyone could stop him. The worst part? Nobody knew where he was not even a rumor, nothing. He had appeared from nowhere and disappeared into nowhere. And Princewill hated mysteries his name Victor was all he currently possessed. The penthouse office remained unusually quiet. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, Riverage City glittered beneath the night sky. Normally the sight calmed him. Tonight he barely noticed it. His attention remained fixed on the dozens of reports spread across his desk, security reports, witness statements even financial investigations. Every

Steven Kahuna had faced hostile takeovers. He had negotiated with billionaires. He had dismantled competitors worth hundreds of millions. He had sat across from politicians, kings, and men whose signatures could change economies. None of them frightened him, not one. Yet as his car pulled into the driveway of his mansion, Steven felt something unfamiliar. Nervousness. The mansion stood proudly atop a private hillside overlooking Riverage City's coastline. Normally, returning home brought relief. But today? It felt like arriving at his own execution. The driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "Sir?" Steven sighed. "How angry do you think she is?" The driver immediately looked away. Smart man. Steven nodded slowly. "That bad, huh?" The driver pretended not to hear. Steven groaned. "Traitor." The vehicle rolled to a stop. For several seconds Steven simply sat there. Staring at the house, thinking, calculating, strategizing. Be

The Milton Group was surviving but barely. The truth sat over the organization like a dark cloud nobody wanted to acknowledge. On paper, the company still existed. Its offices remained open. Its employees still reported to work. Its executives still attended meetings and spoke with confidence whenever outsiders were listening. But beneath the carefully maintained image, the foundation was cracking. Revenue had plummeted. Investors were becoming nervous. Several long-standing partners had quietly begun distancing themselves. The financial reports arriving each month looked worse than the ones before. The numbers no longer lied. The Milton Group was standing on the edge of a cliff. One bad quarter away from disaster. One major loss away from collapse. One mistake away from becoming another forgotten name in Riverage City's history. The atmosphere inside the boardroom reflected that reality. Nobody spoke. Nobody moved. The silence itself felt heavy