"I'm giving you one final chance," Kenji's voice came from the darkness, still calm but with an edge now. "Reconsider. Accept my proposal. Join the Miyagi family. You're an exceptional fighter—exactly who I need in my arsenal right now."Alexander stood perfectly still in the darkness, his enhanced vision tracking every ninja surrounding him. "No.""You're making a grave mistake," Kenji said. "You might be a great fighter, Howard. I'll grant you that. But ninjas are different. They're a class of their own when it comes to sneak attacks, blind attacks, fighting in conditions where normal men are helpless."He paused for effect. "There's no way you can fight twelve of them in complete darkness. You'll be dead before you land a single blow. So I'm asking you—begging you, really—to be smart. To choose survival over stubborn pride.""I choose neither," Alexander replied. "I choose to walk out of here. And if your ninjas try to stop me, they'll regret it.""Impossible bravado," Kenji said,

The ninjas saw their master fall, Kenji's blood pooling beneath his body, and something fundamental broke in their discipline. These were professionals—trained from childhood to follow orders, to maintain control, to operate as a cohesive unit even under extreme stress.But seeing their leader murdered right in front of them shattered that training."KILL HIM!" the lead female ninja screamed in Japanese, her voice raw with grief and rage. "Kill the cloaked one! AVENGE MIYAGI-SAN!"All twelve ninjas turned on Damien as one, their weapons raised, their tactical precision replaced by suicidal fury. They didn't care about the Stanford proxies anymore. Didn't care about Alexander. Didn't care about anything except making the man who'd killed their master pay."Idiots," Damien muttered, raising both hands as green energy crackled around them. "You're choosing to die for a corpse. So be it."The ninjas attacked. Damien's ring flared. The corridor erupted into chaos—blades against supernatura

"Wait," Alexander said, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "Wait. Just... let's talk about this. Calmly. Rationally.""Talk?" Damien's voice was cold as winter. "We're past talking, Alexander. Way past. You've had multiple chances to cooperate. To make this easy. You refused every single one. So now we do this the hard way."The blade pressed tighter against Vanessa's throat. A thin line of blood appeared where the edge cut skin."There's nothing rational about this situation," Damien continued. "Nothing calm. There's just a simple equation: you tell me where the rings are, or this woman dies. Then the other one. Then everyone else on this floor. I'll keep killing until someone gives me what I want.""You won't spare her," Alexander said quietly. "Even if I tell you. You'll kill her anyway. Kill both of them. Kill me. That's who you are. That's what you do.""True," Damien admitted without hesitation. "I am going to kill them. But here's the thing—I can make it quick. Painless.

Alexander saw Damien go through the window and his body moved before his conscious mind could process the decision.He launched himself forward, diving through the broken window frame, glass shards cutting his arms as he reached out desperately.His hand closed around Damien's wrist just as the cloaked figure began to plummet.The sudden weight nearly tore Alexander's arm from its socket. His other hand grabbed the window frame, fingers digging into the twisted metal, his entire body jerking to a halt.Now both of them hung there—seventy-six stories above the ground. Alexander gripping the window frame with one hand, gripping Damien's wrist with the other. The wind whipped around them, cold and vicious."LET GO!" Damien screamed, his voice raw with fury and the lingering effects of the Mesmerizer. "LET GO OF ME!""Not happening," Alexander grunted, his muscles screaming with the effort of holding both their weights.Damien's free hand came up, grabbing Alexander's wrist. But instead o

Inside the elevator, as they descended from Floor Seventy-Six, Alexander leaned against the wall, his mind working through everything they'd learned."This isn't just some corporate game," he said finally. "Gallant Inc is involved. Directly involved. That changes everything.""How?" Vanessa asked, still holding her throat where Damien's blade had cut. "What difference does it make who's running this nightmare?""Reputation," Alexander replied. "Gallant Inc is the second-largest company in the country. They built their empire on credibility. On delivering what they promise. If they announce a competition with specific prizes—a ring and an executive contract—and someone actually wins...""They'd have to give it," Vanessa finished, understanding dawning. "Publicly. In front of cameras and witnesses. Otherwise, their reputation crumbles.""Exactly," Alexander confirmed. "They never expected anyone to actually win. They set this up to lure me here, to kill me. But if someone does complete