Alessia was still standing in the doorway of Darius's study when his phone began ringing on the desk. All three of them—Darius, Aria, and Alessia—looked at the screen.JOSH ROMANO."Speak of the devil," Aria muttered.Darius glanced at both women, his expression thoughtful, then picked up the phone and answered. "Josh.""Master Darius!" Josh's voice came through, respectful and eager. "I hope I'm not disturbing you. I wanted to personally extend an invitation to dinner tomorrow evening at my family's estate.""Your sister just mentioned that," Darius replied neutrally. "She said you called her first.""I did," Josh confirmed. "But I wanted to speak with you directly as well. To make sure you understood how much it would mean to me—to my whole family—if you would accept. My father is very interested in meeting you.""Is he?" Darius's tone was carefully neutral, revealing nothing."Yes, Master," Josh said. "I've told him about your incredible skills. About how you've agreed to take me a

Josh stood on the balcony, his mind racing as he tried to understand what his father was really after.Why was Raymond so insistent on knowing the exact details of what happened at the university? Why the intense interrogation about a simple dinner invitation?What is Father planning? Josh thought nervously. Why does he care so much about this?The incident at the university was shameful—Josh being defeated so thoroughly, being forced to his knees, begging for mentorship in front of hundreds of witnesses.It was the kind of humiliation that Josh had hoped to keep private, or at least minimize when discussing with his father.But now Raymond was demanding the complete truth.And Josh knew his father well enough to recognize that determined look in his eyes—Raymond Romano didn't ask questions unless he already suspected the answers.If I tell him everything, Josh worried, Father will be angry. Disappointed in me for losing so badly. And worse—he might decide to retaliate against Darius.

The next evening, Darius and Aria arrived at Skyline Elite just after eight o'clock. The club was located in downtown Duskfort's most exclusive district—a sleek, modern building with understated elegance that screamed wealth without being ostentatious.A valet took their car keys. A doorman in an impeccable suit checked their names against a list—Darius had called ahead to arrange guest passes under false names—and then opened the heavy glass doors with a professional smile."Welcome to Skyline Elite," the doorman said. "Enjoy your evening."They entered into a sophisticated lobby with marble floors, subtle lighting, and expensive artwork on the walls. Soft jazz played from hidden speakers. Well-dressed patrons moved through the space with the quiet confidence of people who belonged in exclusive places.A hostess approached—young, beautiful, wearing an elegant black dress. "Good evening. May I show you to the main lounge? Or would you prefer one of our private rooms?""The main lounge

Darius and Aria exchanged a brief glance as the well-dressed man waited for their response. The invitation seemed innocent enough—just a friendly chess game in a private room. But both of them had been in dangerous situations enough times to know that "innocent" was often a carefully constructed facade.Still, they'd come here to investigate. To learn more about Skyline Elite and its connection to the base attackers. Sitting in the main lounge nursing drinks wouldn't reveal anything useful. If there were secrets in this club, they'd be hidden in the private areas, not displayed openly for casual patrons."Lead the way," Darius said finally, his tone casual but his eyes alert."Wonderful!" the man said, gesturing down the corridor. "Right this way. I think you'll find our gaming rooms quite impressive."They followed him through the elegantly decorated hallway, past several closed doors with brass plaques indicating "Private" and "Members Only." The sounds of the main lounge faded behi

Jack stared at the chessboard, his breathing heavy, his face flushed with disbelief and rage. The checkmate position mocked him—pieces arranged in a configuration that showed not just defeat, but complete tactical superiority."No," Jack said, shaking his head violently. "No, this isn't right. This can't be right."He looked up at Darius with wild eyes. "You cheated! You MUST have cheated! There's no way—no possible way—you could have beaten me legitimately!""I didn't cheat," Darius replied calmly. "You played poorly. I played better. That's all there is to it.""LIES!" Jack shouted, slamming his hand on the table. "I've beaten grandmasters! Professional players! I'm the undisputed champion of this entire region! I don't LOSE to random military grunts who probably learned chess last week!""Then explain the board," Aria said coldly, gesturing to the checkmate position. "Explain how he 'cheated' his way to trapping your king with no possible escape moves."Jack opened his mouth, then