Chapter 178Paxton had stepped outside his apartment to take a call when he saw a black van parked too long near his building. It didn’t feel right.He squinted, trying to see the plate.Then his phone buzzed again—it was his mother.Paxton answered reluctantly. “Mother, what now?”Mrs Donatoes spoke in a shaky voice.“Paxton… be careful. I think Jeffery is spiraling. He just called me now… laughing. Saying something big is coming.”Paxton froze.His chest tightened.Something big?Something like what?Before he could ask, he noticed someone inside the van turn their head toward him.His instincts screamed.“Mother, I will call you back,” Paxton whispered, stepping away.He ducked behind a pillar.The van engine roared to life.Paxton’s heartbeat spiked.No. Not now. Not again.This time, he grabbed his phone and called the only person who would respond instantly.“Alexander,” Paxton whispered.“What happened?”“I’m being watched.”“Where are you?”Paxton gave the address.There was a

CHAPTER 179The courthouse was overflowing.Reporters clustered outside the steps like vultures sensing fresh prey. Microphones flashed like lightning, cameras clicked in rapid-fire bursts, and crowds whispered as the black government vehicles pulled up one by one.Everyone knew today would be historic.Everyone knew someone powerful was about to fall.What they didn’t know was how far he would fall.Inside the courthouse, Alexander sat quietly in the first row behind the prosecution table. He looked calm, composed, almost cold — but beneath that exterior was a heart beating with years of betrayal.He stared straight ahead, hands clasped tightly in his lap.Velma Richardson stood beside him, preparing her files with the precision of a surgeon. She had not slept. She had not eaten. For two straight days, she had read every line of evidence, compiling a case so airtight it resembled a sealed tomb.The doors burst open.Jeffery entered.Handcuffed.Escorted by federal agents.His once-im

Chapter 174Outside the CourtroomJeffery had been taken to a holding cell inside the courthouse. The police had tightened security; he was no longer free to roam, and every attempt to contact him was monitored.His face was pale, veins prominent as he banged on the steel bars.“They think this ends me?!” he screamed. “They think I’m done? I am untouchable! Do you hear me? UNT-TOUCH-ABLE!”A guard approached cautiously.“Quiet, Mr. Wellington,” he said firmly.Jeffery turned, eyes wild, and snarled.“You’ll see! You all will see! Alexander Hale… Morrelo… I will drag everyone down with me!”Even behind bars, his voice carried malice, a promise that the battle wasn’t over.Alexander stepped out into the brisk afternoon air. The sun hit his face, and for the first time in weeks, he allowed himself to breathe without the tightness in his chest.Matias and Luca flanked him as they approached the car.“Boss,” Matias said cautiously, “Jeffery’s out of immediate reach, but he’s dangerous. He’

Chapter 176 The city slept, but Alexander didn’t. He stood on the balcony of his penthouse, eyes tracing the streets below, every shadow, every movement. His mind was sharp, precise. The alerts from his private network still pinged—unknown digital intrusions, slight anomalies in the Morrelo Group’s financial traffic, subtle but unmistakable.Jeffery had been a problem, yes—but the real threat was still unseen.Alexander turned away from the window. His gaze landed on Selena, sleeping peacefully in the next room. He refused to let anyone touch her—not Jeffery, not Roman, not whatever ghost of the past was creeping into their lives now.*****Paxton had returned to his apartment after another late night with Alexander, checking the city for any signs of Jeffery’s influence. He didn’t notice the subtle movement near his window at first. A figure, dressed in black, crouched on the fire escape, phone in hand. Every time Paxton moved, the figure froze, blending into the shadows like a pred

Chapter 178Alexander did not sleep.By dawn, Morrelo Tower was already awake lights blazing on floors that usually stayed dark until noon. Executives were being summoned, encrypted lines opened, contingency teams activated.Phase Two had begun.Matias stood beside the holographic board, eyes scanning the red alerts blooming across the screen. “Three offshore accounts frozen in Zurich. Two shipping permits revoked in Marseille. And someone just leaked an anonymous report accusing Morrelo Energy of falsified environmental data.”Luca let out a low whistle. “That was fast.”Alexander remained seated, fingers steepled, gaze unreadable.“They’re testing pressure points,” he said calmly. “Nothing fatal. Yet.”Matias frowned. “Yet?”“They want to see how I react,” Alexander replied. “Do I panic? Do I retreat? Do I strike blindly?”He stood slowly.“I do none of those.”The boardroom buzzed with controlled panic.Executives whispered. Legal advisors argued in hushed tones. Stock projections