RYANI sat down slowly, letting my eyes move across the room as the Cassian family and shareholders arranged themselves. The sight made something twist in my chest. ClasslessThat was the only word that fit. Power wrapped in silk and arrogance, evil hidden behind polished smiles. Faces I recognized sat beside faces I had never seen before new blood, distant relatives, people who had crawled out of shadows now that chaos had opened the door for them.The room kept fillingChairs scraped softly against the floor. Murmurs rose and fell like waves.Every glance sent my way carried judgment, resentment or quiet hatred, I could feel it pressing against my skin.Elizabeth stood at the front, composed as always. Calm, She lifted her hand slightly and the noise died down.“There will be a temporary ceasefire” she announced. Her voice was smooth, almost pleasant. “Take your seats. Let’s all try to enjoy ourselves”EnjoyThe word felt insulting.Mary sat close to Seraphine and me.Her arm w

RYAN.Pa Jake straightened in his seat, his voice loud and crude as he scanned the room.“So none of you want me to talk?” he scoffed. His eyes flicked toward where Mary had collapsed.“What the fuck is that woman doing falling dead there?”The words hit me like a slap.I shot to my feet. “I won’t allow you to insult her,” I said sharply, my hands clenched at my sides. My chest burned with anger.Even here, even bleeding, Mary was still being treated like she was nothingPa Jake turned to me slowly, his mouth curling in disgust. “You stupid rookie,” he snapped. “Shut up. What are you even doing here?” He looked past me toward Elizabeth. “Isn’t he supposed to be gone by now?”For a brief moment, the room froze.Elizabeth didn’t even look surprised. She waved a hand lazily. “Don’t worry about him, Pa Jake. Continue, We don’t have time for distractions.”I scoffed quietly, the sound bitter in my throat. In my head, everything became painfully clear.I needed to get out of here.I didn’

RYAN.Then Pa Jake laughed.It echoed through the room, rough and humorless.“Those brothers aren’t joking,” he said. “You’d better start preparing that one trillion. Because if you don’t—”He glanced around at the stunned faces.“They’ll wipe every last one of you out.”I sat there, my heart pounding, one thought screaming louder than the rest.I need to get out of this.Before this family destroys everything in its path.I couldn’t hold it in anymore.“Julian,” I said, my voice cutting through the chaos, “what happened to you?”He turned slowly, his eyes finding mine. For a moment, something human flickered there regret, maybe. Or exhaustion.“You were right, Ryan,” he said quietly. “You never truly believed me. And it was hard for you to trust me.”He paused, then added, almost bitterly, “I don’t blame you.”Julian stepped forward, climbing onto the stage.The entire Cassian family shrank into themselves.Heads bowed. Shoulders tense. Panic rolled through the room like a wave. Be

SERAPHINE I stood at the doorway, watching Ryan take a slow sip from his drink, the tension in his shoulders heavy enough to feel from across the room.My stomach twisted with unease.I took a deep breath and walked toward him.“Ryan,” I said, my voice low amd careful, “what’s going on?”He didn’t look up immediately. I could see the weight of the world pressing down on him.Finally, he met my eyes. “We… we’re owing a very large amount of money,” he said, his tone grave.I blinked, trying to process his words. “Who are we owing?”He swallowed hard, setting the glass down. “The Chinese dynasty.”I froze. “The Chinese dynasty? How?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly, disbelief threading through every word.Ryan sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It’s a long story, Seraphine. But Julian… he’s been working with them since he was a kid.”My mouth went dry. “That’s not possible… Julian? He’s not working for Cassian since when?”“We’re all shocked,” Ryan said quietly, leaning back

DANTE. I couldn’t believe it—working side by side with the man everyone whispered about. The man tied to my father’s death. Ryan Cassian. The name alone made my jaw tighten. I hated him. I hated that he now sat in the seat that should have been mine. The throne. The legacy. All handed to him like a gift, as if blood meant nothing. What burned me the most was how easily he was chosen. He just appeared in Cassian affairs and suddenly everyone bowed. I had grown inside this family, bled for it, watched my father die for it. And yet, here I was, forced to cooperate with Ryan. Even though I knew—deep down—that he didn’t actually kill my father. Logic didn’t erase resentment. I had already decided. I wouldn’t fully follow Ryan’s plan. Not this long, winding strategy of alliances and patience. I had my own way. Julian. If I could reach him directly, negotiate, lower the interest rate, ease the pressure—it would be faster. Cleaner. Better than gambling everything on Ryan’s mind games. Sti