“Daddy!” May spotted him, running into his arms, her cheeks flushed from joy.Richard scooped her up, ignoring the murmurs around him. “My princess,” he whispered, kissing her forehead. “Are you having fun?”“The best fun ever!” She pointed at the sparklers. “Can I blow them out now?”“Soon. Very soon.” He smiled, his steel-gray eyes softening. “First, let’s let everyone sing for you.”Daniella appeared then, shimmering in emerald silk that caught every eye in the room. She rested her hand lightly on Richard’s shoulder, the touch poised but cold. Her smile was dazzling, but her eyes never warmed.“Richard,” she said sweetly, “the guests are waiting for your little speech.”Richard nodded. He knew the game, appearances, always appearances. “Of course.”He carried May to the stage. The crowd hushed, a hundred faces turning toward him: tycoons, politicians, celebrities, even a few enemies dressed as friends. His empire had drawn them all.Richard placed May gently beside the cake, one ar

The prison yard was a boiling pit under the noon sun. Sweat, curses, and the clang of iron weights filled the air. Men circled like predators, watching one another with eyes that never blinked too long.Richard kept to himself near the cracked basketball court, ribs still aching from the beating. His swollen eye had begun to heal, but the scar at his brow remained raw.He leaned against the fence, breathing slow, watching. Survival in here wasn’t just fists. It was observation. Patterns. Weaknesses. “Still breathing, billionaire?”Richard turned. Stone stood before him, flanked by two men who looked like shadows carved from muscle. Richard wiped sweat from his brow. “You sound surprised.”Stone smirked. “Most men don’t get up after Cross and Viper get through with them.”“Cross and Viper?” Richard asked.“The two in your cell.” Stone chuckled. “They like breaking fresh meat. But you” His eyes narrowed. “You’re not broken.”Richard straightened, meeting his stare. “I’ve been through wo

The clang of metal trays echoed in the mess hall. Grease-slick food, lukewarm water, the endless roar of men shouting over one another. But Richard wasn’t listening to the noise, he was watching.Every conversation was a piece on the board. Every glance was a move. Malik slid onto the bench beside him, his voice low. “Three more want to talk. They saw what you did with Scar in the showers.”Richard kept his eyes forward. “Names.”“Devon. Short, quick hands. Used to run with gangs outside. Then there’s Lopez. Strong, but keeps his head down. And Kieran…” Malik hesitated. “…Kieran owes Serpent money.”Richard smirked faintly. “Which means he’s desperate. Desperate men make useful allies.”Malik swallowed. “You’re not afraid Serpent will find out?”Richard picked up his spoon, stirring the sludge on his tray. “He already knows. Let him. That just means he’s watching the wrong hand while the other one makes the move.”That night, under the flickering light of the laundry room, Richard sat

The wound burned like fire. Richard sat on the thin mattress of his cell, shirt pressed tight against the gash in his side. Each breath felt like glass cutting through his ribs. “You should be dead.”Richard looked up. Devon stood at the bars, eyes flicking to the crimson seeping through Richard’s shirt. “Not yet,” Richard muttered. “Not until I take everything back.”Devon smirked, though his gaze lingered with something like respect. “Serpent’s rattled. Sending a blade outside? That’s desperation. He’s afraid you’ll walk free.”Richard leaned back, staring at the ceiling. “Then he should be. I’ll bury him. But first…” His voice broke low, sharp. “…I’ll take Daniella apart piece by piece. And Victor with her.”Later that night, his allies slipped into the laundry room under cover of steam. “Word is spreading,” Lopez said quietly. “Some of the young bloods are listening. They saw you bleed and stand tall anyway. Makes them think you’re untouchable.”Richard shook his head. “No one’s u

The cell was a box of shadows. Four concrete walls, no window, no sound but the slow drip of water somewhere unseen. Richard sat on the floor, wrists chained, head bowed. Solitary confinement.It wasn’t silence, it was suffocation. No allies, no whispers, no air thick with human breath. Just himself and the darkness pressing in.This is what they want, Richard thought. To bury me alive. A scrape broke the stillness. He lifted his head. Stone sat on the opposite bench, calm as a man in his living room. No chains. No guard escort. Just there.Richard’s voice was rough. “You’re not supposed to be in here.”Stone tilted his head. “And yet… here I am.”Stone leaned forward, elbows on knees. “You’ve stirred the hive, Williams. That little show in the yard? Half the prison whispers your name. But whispers don’t topple kings. Serpent still owns the blood and the fear.”Richard’s jaw clenched. “Not for long.”Stone chuckled. “You burn too hot. Fire consumes the fuel too fast. Revenge will eat