The sun blazed down on the university courtyard, gilding the rows of graduates in their black gowns and caps. Applause rippled across the sea of parents, friends, and flashing cameras. For most, today was the end of one journey and the start of another.But for Ethan Cole, today was meant to be more than just a graduation. It was meant to be the day he took a step into the future he had dreamed of for years,with her.He clutched the small velvet box in his palm, his heartbeat drumming louder than the dean’s speech echoing across the stage.Every second felt stretched, heavy with expectation. His friends whispered encouragements, some nudging him with sly grins. And there she was. Vanessa Lane.She stood just a few feet away in her gown, her long dark hair spilling over her shoulders, her eyes lined with that perfect shimmer of gold she always wore.She was breathtaking, the kind of woman who turned heads without trying. Ethan’s chest tightened at the sight of her smile.That smile had

The circle of figures tightened around Ethan, their shadows long and sharp under the flickering blue flames. The seal in his palm felt heavier with every passing second, as though it wanted to crush him before he even used it. A voice broke the silence.“Do you even know what you hold, boy?” sneered Uncle Richard, a tall man with a vulture’s nose and slicked-back hair. His suit was immaculate, but his smile was venom. “That seal is not a toy. It carries more enemies than allies. And you” his gaze raked over Ethan’s simple graduation gown“you are no heir. You are an embarrassment.”Whispers rippled through the Council. Aunt Sylvia, draped in blood-red silk, stepped forward. “You have lived as a beggar for four years, Ethan. Scrubbing toilets, stacking shelves, flipping burgers. Tell me, how does that prepare you to command armies? To bend nations? To crush men like Blackwood?”“I” Ethan began, but Sylvia’s laugh silenced him.“You think endurance equals strength? Endurance is for mules

The city skyline glittered like a sea of diamonds outside the penthouse windows. Inside, Damian poured champagne into two tall glasses, the golden liquid fizzing with arrogance.“To humiliation,” he smirked, handing one to Vanessa. She raised her glass, eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “To putting that loser in his place.”They clinked glasses and laughed, their voices dripping with cruelty. “You should’ve seen his face when I mentioned the earrings,” Vanessa giggled, leaning against Damian. “Pathetic. He probably can’t even afford toothpaste without counting coins.”Damian slid an arm around her waist, his grin smug. “Don’t waste your breath on him anymore. He’s finished. I’ll make sure of it.”Vanessa tilted her head, pouting playfully. “How, exactly? Don’t tell me you’re jealous of a beggar.”“Jealous?” Damian scoffed. “Please. I’m Damian Blackwood. My father sits on the Global Council of Trade. One word from me and Ethan will never get a job higher than flipping burgers. He’ll van

The estate’s library stretched on like a cathedral, its shelves stacked with leather-bound volumes, its air heavy with dust and age.Moonlight bled through stained-glass windows, casting fractured colors across the marble floor. Ethan stood there, the bloody dagger from the Council trial still bandaged to his palm.The rumors were everywhere. He had heard the whispers even from within these stone walls. “Beggar Ethan… rejected at graduation.”“Washed dishes for rent money.”“Vanessa was right to leave him.”Each word was like a knife turned in his back. But Ethan did not break. He moved silently between shelves until he reached the one book that did not belong.An old ledger. Its leather cracked. Its spine worn. His father’s name engraved faintly on the cover: Alexander Cole. Ethan traced the letters with a trembling hand. “Father…”A cough sounded behind him. He turned. The Patriarch leaned on his cane in the doorway, his sharp eyes catching every flicker of Ethan’s emotions. “You’ve

The limousine door slammed harder than Vanessa intended. Crystal beads on her gown shivered as she folded herself inside, her fingers trembling against the leather seat.Damian slid in after her, jaw locked, eyes burning. The driver closed the door and the hum of the city fell away, leaving only the muted purr of the engine and the weight of silence pressing between them.Neither spoke at first. The images replayed too vividly: the ballroom, the whispers turning against them, Ethan’s steady gaze, the black coin rolling across the marble as though fate itself had chosen him. And that voice, deep, inhuman, curling through the air like smoke.Vanessa shivered, hugging her arms. “What the hell was that, Damian? What was that voice?”Damian yanked at his tie, loosening it. His breathing was harsh, uneven. “Some trick. It had to be. Ethan’s staging theatrics. That’s all.”She turned sharply toward him. “You think he staged the lights? The coin? The voice? You saw everyone’s faces. They were