“Jace wants to meet up right now?” Michael asked with a raised eyebrow as he read the message again on the screen. Barry scoffed loudly, “Is he insane? He knows I’ll kill him the next time I see him.” “That’s why you’re not going, it’ll be just me.” Michael grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair and headed for the door like it was already decided. Barry’s eyes widened. “What? You’re crazy! It could be a trap.” “I think he’s way more sensible than pissing me off right now…” Michael replied calmly. “And besides, I’m not exactly the subdueable type.” “I’m coming too.” “So you can kill him before he gets a word out? Nope. You’re in charge here, I’ll see you.” Barry threw his hands in the air, “I can’t believe you’re wasting time and fuel on that idiot.” Michael smiled slightly, “Who said I’m wasting fuel?” Barry raised an eyebrow, confused.– The electric bicycle sprinted along the empty road with unnatural speed, the motor alone could not have pushed it that fast. Micha

“Absolutely not!” One of the Aurora ministers shouted, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. “That’s just absolute chaos waiting to happen!” “I agree!” Another voice added quickly, “We all know that Scofields cannot be tamed. They’re above the law.” “They can do anything and no one will hold them responsible.” A third minister argued, “Best not give the people false hope and make them feel safe!” The room erupted into overlapping complaints, fear and frustration mixed together until it became almost unbearable to listen to. Mira slowly clapped her hands, the sharp sound cutting through the noise. “For the first time since the beginning of this stupid meeting…” She began with a thin smile, “I finally agree with you.” The ministers fell silent. “I do not do corporate.” She continued, rising from her seat with calm confidence. “It dulls my style. Plus…” Her smile sharpened as her crimson eyes glowed faintly, “I have been known to snap. So whatever binding contract you hope

“Hey Isaac! Let this be a warning, yeah?” Kade’s deep voice echoed across the shattered hall through the ringing ears and drifting smoke. “I’ll be visiting again very soon… d I’ll be staying. So do the needful, will you? Or suffer the consequences.”He gave a lazy signal with two fingers and his men immediately stopped firing as if a switch had been flipped. The sudden silence was almost louder than the gunshots had been. Then, without warning, Kade lifted his enhanced weapon and fired at the massive glass wall overlooking the capital. The building had been reinforced with bulletproof panels years ago, meant to withstand bombs and riots. The shot tore through it like it was nothing more than thin ice. Cracks spidered outward before the entire section burst apart in a violent cascade.Gasps filled the room.Kade sprinted toward the opening and leapt without hesitation. For a split second, he vanished from sight, then a chopper dipped low and a chain rope swung down. He caught it with

The moment Isaac mentioned Gerald’s personal seal, the air in the room changed. Michael’s posture stiffened almost instantly, and Mira’s lazy confidence cracked for a split second. Even Gordon let out a quiet breath and rubbed his temple, “I guess that does the trick.” He muttered. Gerald’s personal seal was not something thrown around lightly, it stood far above the authority of the Scofield family seal. The family seal commanded influence, wealth, networks and fear. Gerald’s personal seal commanded obedience, it was the final word, law in places where laws could not reach. Barry swallowed and leaned closer to Adrian. “If such a seal exists, why not just use it to tell Kade to back off?” Adrian snickered under his breath. “Yeah, as if. You wouldn’t back off if you were being owed a hundred trillion, now would you? I know for sure no amount of authoritative seal would hold me down.” Isaac nodded slowly, “Exactly. Kade isn’t some local governor, he’s a military dictator. You don’

The next day, the atmosphere inside the government building was far heavier than usual. Soldiers stood straighter, ministers whispered less, and every step echoed louder along the polished floors. Word had already spread that something serious would be happening soon, though few knew the details. When Michael and Mira walked down the corridor side by side, neither of them spoke. For once, even their rivalry seemed secondary to the weight hanging in the air as they stepped into the meeting room together. And froze. Gerald Scofield was seated at the head of the long table. He was not a hologram or a distant voice on a secure line, he was there in the flesh, dressed in a dark suit, hands folded calmly before him. His sharp eyes lifted slowly toward his children, and the disappointment in them was unmistakable. Isaac stood nearby, stiff and formal. He had clearly briefed Gerald on everything. Gerald’s gaze lingered on Michael first, then shifted to Mira. “I thought the tournament w