Gasps erupted across the room and even on the livestream.“BRO, HE SLAPPED HER?!?”“I’m screen-recording this embarrassing moment before she deletes it.”Her friends gasped audibly, clutching their phones but too stunned to speak.Darren’s men stepped forward instinctively—until Lance took one slow step toward them. His eyes met theirs, cold and unblinking.They froze. Not one dared move.The hall emptied fast, the sound of hurried footsteps filling the air.One of Darren’s men placed a hand on Vivian’s arm. “Come. We’ll deal with this later.”Vivian yanked free, eyes locked on Lance like she could burn him alive with her glare.“This isn’t over,” she hissed.She spun toward the CEO, her voice dripping with venom. “And you... I’ll be back. And when I do, I will make you regret ever laying your hands on me.”The CEO’s expression didn’t even twitch. “Get. Out. And take your spoiled little entourage with you. You’re banned from this building. I never want to see your faces near this buil

“A military unit will draw too much attention,” he continued. “I'll go alone. If I need backup…” His gaze locked with hers. “I'll call for one.”Selene’s lips pressed into a thin line. She could see it in his eyes, his mind was made. Nothing could sway him now.Finally, she exhaled, closing the tablet with a soft click.“Very well, sir.” Her voice was steady, though beneath it she felt unease. “I’ll arrange for your military helicopter. At dawn, it will take you to Novida.”The jet cut low across the desert sky, its shadow sliding over the dunes. Whirls of sand spun upward.Lance jumped down from the chopper into the burning heat, his boots sinking into the soft sand. A worn scarf covered his face, his clothes looked faded and torn. He didn’t look like a general. He looked like a ghost.And that was exactly what he wanted.The pilot gave a nod. The engines roared, and the bird lifted, and in seconds the sky swallowed it whole.Novida laid ahead. It looked like the scavenged land Selen

Lance’s fingers closed tight around the slip.Finally, a lead.The boy’s breath still came in ragged bursts, his chest rising and falling like a cornered animal.Lance slipped the folded receipt into his pocket and fixed him with a stare that pinned him to the wall.“You’re not done yet,” Lance said, his tone flat but heavy. “You’re going to take me there. Now.”The boy swallowed hard, nodding quickly. “Ohh... okay… It’s at the far end of the town.” His voice cracked as he spoke.Lance stepped closer, towering over him. “Listen carefully. If you even think about running…” He leaned down, his voice dropping to a cold whisper that sent shivers down the boy's spine.The boy’s eyes went wide, his head bobbing frantically. “I won’t, I swear!”“Good.”Lance straightened, motioning with a sharp jerk of his head. “Lead the way.”The boy hesitated only a second before stumbling forward, wiping his tears with the back of his grimy hand. His small frame shook as he stepped out of the alley,The

He lunged.Lance sidestepped again, his hand snapping out like lightning. He caught the thug’s wrist, twisting it sharply. The knife clattered to the ground as the leader let out a scream.With one swift motion, Lance slammed his elbow into the man’s face, sending him crashing onto the dirt road. Blood trickled from his nose as he groaned in pain.Lance crouched beside him, his voice low, calm, but lethal.“I warned you.”The man’s eyes were wide with fear as he scrambled backward, panting. The remaining conscious thugs, seeing their leader beaten so effortlessly, grabbed their injured comrades and fled.The woman, still trembling, clutched her torn sleeve, her eyes filled with shock.This stranger took out these strong, dangerous men like it was nothing.Lance extended a hand to her. “You’re safe now.”She hesitated before taking it, her grip unsteady.“Who... who are you?” she whispered.Lance didn’t answer.The distant rumble of engines echoed through the street as military vehicle

Sarah’s fingers curled into the fabric of her cloak, clutching it against her chest. Her lips trembled before she answered.“It’s… because of the pendant,” she whispered, her eyes darting to the pendant that hung from Lance's chest.Lance glanced down at it, confusion furrowing his brow. His hand instinctively touched the pendant. “This?”Why would a bounty be placed on her head because of the pendant?Sarah nodded slowly, her breath uneven. “That pendant… it once belonged to the Mafia Lord’s family.”The words struck like ice. Lance’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing.Sarah’s eyes grew distant as she recalled a memory.“My mother… she worked as a maid in their mansion, many years ago. She was young, innocent. And yet… she caught the eye of the lord himself, and they had an affair.”Her throat tightened, her voice trembling now. “When it became dangerous, when the other wives and mistresses began to notice, he feared for her life. He had to send her away. But before she left, he gav