DANTEI gripped the steering wheel tighter, thinking about the numbers, the deadlines, the sheer impossibility of it all. The interest rate Julian demanded was insane. One trillion dollars in thirty days—there was no way the Cassian family could pull that off. Not even if every last asset from every branch of the family was thrown into the pot.I had to take matters into my own hands. I decided I couldn’t wait for Ryan’s crazy plans or the family’s hesitations. I needed to deal with Julian directly. Maybe, just maybe, I could reason with him—or at least convince him to lower the interest rate.I drove down the street, the city lights flickering across the dashboard, my mind racing through all the angles. Pulling my phone from the holder, I typed Julian’s number. The line rang, again and again. Nothing.I muttered under my breath. “Come on, Julian. Pick up.”After several attempts, I gave a number to the family to call him once they had the money. Still, I wasn’t satisfied. I had to ta

RYAN.I walked into the hall with a folder in my hand and the weight of what I had seen still heavy on my chest. Everyone was already seated, their attention shifting to me as I moved closer. I didn’t waste time.“I’ve been going through reports,” I said, laying the documents out on the table. “Human trafficking. A lot of it. I’ve seen dozens of IDs—fake names, real faces. Enough to prove something ugly is happening beneath the surface.”Elena leaned forward, scanning the papers. “This is good,” she said calmly. “At least we can push this outside without them knowing we’re behind it.”I nodded. “Yes. But this is only what we have for now. There are many IDs like this. Too many. We need more than this if we’re going to make real damage. We need other connections. Other pressure points.”Elizabeth scoffed, crossing her arms. “You’re stupid,” she said bluntly. “You forgot one very important thing—the Russian minister. They’re rivals.”I frowned. “Does Cassian even have people there?”She

RYANThe rest of Marco’s men scattered the moment they saw him fall. Some ran blindly, others fired wildly before disappearing into the smoke. Sirens flooded the air not long after. Police cars swarmed the compound, officers shouting orders as they chased down anyone still breathing and armed.I stood there, unmoving, watching as medics lifted Marco’s body onto a stretcher. His blood stained the floor, dark and final. They covered him halfway, but I still saw his face—frozen, empty, nothing like the man who had stormed this place moments ago driven by desperation.I wasn’t happy.Not even relieved.Elizabeth, on the other hand, laughed. A sharp, careless sound.“He thought he could pull that off?” she said. “What a fool.”I didn’t answer her. My eyes lifted instinctively, scanning the rooftops, the broken walls, the shadows that didn’t feel right. And then I saw it—a slight movement, far above. A figure. A rifle barrel catching light for just a second.A sniper.My chest tightened.I

DANTEThe pain in my hand was unbearable.I bit down hard as I tightened the bandage around my fingers, my breath shaking despite my effort to stay composed Julian hadn’t just hurt me he had broken me, piece by piece. Every slight movement sent sharp pain racing up my arm reminding me of his smile, his laughter the way he crushed my fingers like they meant nothing.I was stupid, I thought. I really believed he would listen.I drove toward Elizabeth’s place with one hand on the wheel the other pressed tightly against my chest.My head was spinning, not just from the pain but from everything that had gone wrong in one night. I needed answers.I needed to see what was happening with my own eyes.When I got close to her residence, I slowed down.My heart dropped.Parts of the wall were blown apart. Debris littered the ground, Bullet holes scarred the exterior like open wounds,The place looked like a war zone.I stopped the car“What the hell…” I mutteredI stayed inside the vehicle, sc

RYAN We had changed into suits clean, sharp, anonymous. The kind that erased identity and replaced it with purpose.I slid into the back seat as Elena took the wheel her posture calm but alert.The engine hummed softly as we pulled into traffic easing in behind the Russian minister’s convoy like we belonged there.The road stretched ahead of us, smooth but tense.Black vehicles, tinted windows, disciplined spacing, Professional, Dangerous.“Be careful” I said,watching the convoy through the windshield. “One mistake and this turns ugly”Elena smirked slightly, eyes fixed on the road.“Relax. I was a racer back in the day.”I blinked, “Really?”“Yeah,” she said casually. “Back then, no one understood me. I always loved driving. Speed, there was no Control in the road and it was Freedom.” She paused then laughed quietly. “I used to sneak out just to drive. When Pa Cassian found out, he punished me. There was no allowance for one month.”“That sounds painful” I said.She glanced at me.