The Hayes Group lawyer adjusted his cufflinks before speaking. His tone was polite, but there was no warmth in it."Hayes Group is willing to give Lumira Enterprise a short grace period," he said. "You may take a few days to reconsider your position before this proceeds fully to court."He looked at Ivy directly. "We believe it would be wiser to settle this matter privately."Noah's face darkened. Florence remained silent, but her fingers tightened on the edge of the table."And if we refuse?" he asked coldly. He sounded like he had forgotten he was facing a lawyer from the Four Great families.The lawyer smiled faintly. "Then we will see each other in court."There was no need to say more. The message was clear.After the meeting ended, the Hayes legal team left first. Their footsteps echoed calmly down the corridor, as if they were already certain of victory.Noah, Ivy, and Florence returned to Lumira Enterprise in silence. The drive back felt longer than usual.When they entered th

Hector remained silent for a moment after admitting that. Callen leaned back and looked at Hector with a faint smirk. "You don't need to look so tense. I didn't come here to ask for your help.""General… if this is about the Emperor, I truly cannot—""Relax. I don't need additional help from one more person."His tone wasn't loud, but the confidence in his voice was unmistakable. It wasn't arrogance without foundation. It was the calm of someone who already knew his own strength.Hector's expression stiffened. As a veteran general, he had once commanded thousands. Being told he wasn't needed felt like a quiet slap to his pride. Yet he didn't dare show displeasure."I understand," Hector replied carefully. "Even so, if there is anything I can do, I would be honored to assist."Callen's smile faded into something more neutral. "I came because I wanted to ask you something."Hector straightened slightly. "What is it?""Did you receive a warning?" Callen asked directly.Hector froze.For

The next morning, the Imperial Council issued an official announcement."In light of the recent evidence presented by Iron Ledger, the Council will initiate a formal investigation into Hayes Group and its affiliated entities."The statement was brief, but its impact was enormous.For the first time in modern history, the Hayes name was brought into an emergency council session. Analysts described it as unprecedented.Inside the council chamber, high-ranking officials discussed financial transfers, land seizures, and the possibility of illegal trade networks operating under corporate protection.Outside, crowds gathered. Protesters held signs demanding accountability. News reporters stood in front of the grand imperial building, speaking into cameras with urgent tones.Within Lumira's temporary legal office, Florence stared at the news broadcast in disbelief."This… this changes everything," she whispered.Noah remained silent, his eyes fixed on the screen.Ivy stood a few steps behind

That evening, Ivy packed her office without drama. However, the optimism inside the Carter household didn't last.Within days, investor confidence failed to recover. The public might have forgiven Lumira, but the capital was more cautious.One morning, Steve burst into Noah's office holding a stack of papers."Credit lines are frozen," he said, panic creeping into his voice. "Two banks suspended our facilities!""That's temporary," Noah replied."It's not," Ava cut in. "We already allocated projected profits."Florence frowned. "Allocated to what?"Steve hesitated. "Expansion properties. Luxury distribution lounges. The coastal villa."Ava added, "And the new fleet leases."Noah's face went pale.Debt collectors began calling daily. Suppliers demanded upfront payment. Without steady liquidity, operations slowed."This is impossible," Florence whispered as she stared at the numbers. "We were just recovering."Bankruptcy discussions quietly entered the room. Then, just as desperation pe

Meanwhile, in his private study, Callen opened one final encrypted archive from Eryk's transmission.Elijah stood across from him. "This file was deeper than the others. It was heavily fragmented."Callen reconstructed the sequence on screen. Old asset transfer records. Historical land registries. Emergency orders were enacted many years ago.Elijah brought his face nearer. "That name…"A common last name was seen time and again on the screen.Langford.The documents revealed that the authorities had seized the assets of the politically purged family. The family estates were confiscated, and the people living there were displaced. Holdings transferred. Hayes's representatives' signatures on corporate governance oversight committees, etc.Callen was speaking in a low voice and with a hint of sarcasm, "Langfords didn't betray the empire.""They were broken down, " said Elijah in a low voice.On her social media account, Helena posted another article the following day. These archival mat