It was the look of a leader who remained the most dangerous person in the room, even at his breaking point."I gave you an order, Shaw," Zarek rasped. "Take her back. Now."Shaw opened his mouth to protest, saw the iron set of Zarek’s jaw, and realized the time for partnership had ended."Fine," Shaw grumbled, grabbing his tactical bag. "But if I come back and find you face-down in a pile of flash drives, I’m dragging you out by your hair. Eat the damn vitamins, Boss. That’s an order from the guy you just tried to strangle."Shaw headed for the hidden stairs, his silhouette dissolving into the shadows. Zarek stood alone in the blue-lit silence, the only sound the rhythmic hum of the servers and his own ragged breathing.The silence following Shaw’s departure was absolute, a heavy shroud pressing against Zarek’s eardrums. He didn’t move for a long time. He simply stood, staring at the whiteboard where the names of the fifteen families were partially obscured by the dark, drying strea

He didn’t need a key. He didn’t need permission from the city or the lawyers who had been circling the carcass of this lot for decades.Legally, the world believed every Riggs had turned to ash. Biologically, however, Zarek Riggs was the living key, the rightful heir, a ghost returning to reclaim his graveyard.He reached the perimeter. The chain-link fence stood tall, crowned with coils of razor wire that looked suspiciously well-maintained for an abandoned lot. Ignoring the main gate, he slipped into the shadows beside the laundromat. Finding a loose tension wire, he peeled the mesh back and slid through with fluid precision.His boots touched uneven ground: packed dirt, shattered glass, and the charred remnants of a life he barely remembered.As he moved deeper into the lot, the city’s roar dulled, giving way to a heavy, expectant silence. In the center, the store's foundation remained, a jagged stone ribcage clawing at the sky.He didn’t study the surface rubble. Instead, he

“Get the car ready. And get the secondary response team on the line,” Tae-hyun ordered, pointing a wet finger at Doyun. “I’m going to see for myself who dares to enter that building.”His lips slowly curled. “I’ve been kept in this city specifically to guard that rot until the higher-ups finish their petty squabbling. I won’t have some ghost ruining my standing now.”“Of course, sir. The motorcade will be at the entrance in five minutes,” Doyun replied with a crisp bow before turning on his heel and exiting the pool room.Once the glass doors hissed shut, Tae-hyun stood alone, the humidity pressing against his skin.The frown on his face deepened, carving sharp lines into his handsome, artificial features. He paced the edge of the pool, his mind churning.If the person was a Riggs… things were going to get complicated.Very complicated.Then he paused, cold logic taking over.That’s impossible.Every branch of that family tree had been pruned, burned, and buried years ago. He had see

He had spent years memorizing the dossiers of every major player, every rival family scion, and every shadow-dweller that posed a threat to his ascent. He knew the faces of the Fifteen Families like the back of his own hand.But this man?Is this man standing in the ruins of a dead store?"He doesn't look familiar," Tae-hyun muttered to the empty room, his voice a low, frantic rasp. His brows arched, and his eyes narrowed, scouring his mental archives, but the man’s features refused to click into place. "He’s not on the list. He’s not one of them."He jammed a command into the console, forcing a rapid-fire facial recognition scan against the global database. The red NO MATCH text flickered rhythmically against his skin, casting a sickly, strobe-like glow over his frustrated expression.The fact that the man was a stranger was what terrified him most. It meant there was a variable he hadn't accounted for, a man with harsh, ancient eyes who was currently staring through the lens an

He ran a hand through his hair, frustration flashing across his face.“This place has been maintained. Searched thoroughly. How were you able to find a bag?”“Why would I answer that?” Zarek’s voice was a low, dangerous vibration.He didn’t shift his stance even as fourteen muzzles leveled at his chest.“You’ve spent twenty years digging through my father’s property and still came up empty-handed. That’s not my failure, Tae-hyun. It’s yours.”Zarek adjusted the strap of the heavy backpack, the metal gear inside clinking softly, a sound that made the guards twitch.“I’m not in the mood for a history lesson. I’m here because my family’s name has been dragged through the mud and their property converted by vultures in suits. I’ll give you one chance. Speak. Tell me who gave the order for the fire, and I might let you walk out of this lot under your own power.”Tae-hyun stared at him for a heartbeat, stunned by the audacity of the demand.Then he threw his head back and laughed, a shrill,