“Escaped prisoner still at large.”“Government under pressure.”“Two days left to find Ethan Carter.”Police sirens filled the streets every night. Officers searched forests, raided empty warehouses, questioned anyone connected to him.But Ethan was nowhere.Or rather… Ethan was everywhere they weren’t looking.He sat comfortably in a private lounge of a five-star hotel, legs crossed, a glass of expensive wine in his hand.A man in a suit approached carefully.“Mr. Carter… or should I say, Mr. Cole,” the man said nervously.Ethan smiled.“Names don’t matter. Money does.”The man swallowed.“You paid for the entire penthouse in cash. For three months.”Ethan leaned back.“Then you should be thanking me.”“Yes, sir. Of course.” The man hesitated. “But… the news—”Ethan’s smile faded.“You talk too much.”The man quickly raised his hands.“No, no, I didn’t mean—”Ethan cut him off.“Bring me what I asked for. Clothes. Watches. Cars.”The man nodded fast.“Immediately, sir.”When he left,

When Melissa felt the deep, warm heartbreak spread through her chest, it was almost comforting in its familiarity. Pain had become a language she understood too well.She sat quietly on the edge of her bed, hands resting limply on her lap, eyes unfocused. The room was dim, curtains drawn, the city lights outside bleeding faintly through the cracks like wounded stars. Her breathing was shallow, controlled—too controlled for someone who felt like her heart had just been torn open again.Behind her, the door creaked.“I guess you’re thinking about Ethan,” Turner’s voice came, smooth and intrusive, like a blade sliding across glass. “The man whose wealth suddenly went viral. Not even the government has been able to track him down.”Melissa’s fingers curled slowly into fists.“Father,” she said without turning, her voice dangerously calm. “Spare me that. Do not mention his name before me. Not even his shadow. He is the last thing I want to hear.”Turner scoffed softly and stepped further i

Ethan sat in the dark, the phone still in his hand, the single-word reply burning into his mind.No.The room felt smaller. The silence was no longer empty — it was heavy, watching, waiting.His chest tightened as a realization crept in slowly.“I think I have fallen into trouble,” he whispered hoarsely. “I tried to fight a man stronger than me… and now I’m the one defeated.”For years, he had believed he controlled risk. He had believed every decision was calculated, every move strategic. But now, looking back, he saw something far more disturbing.He had not been calculating.He had been gambling.And he had lost.The oath he once treated as a business understanding now felt like a chain tightening around his throat. Every shortcut, every hidden deal, every aggressive expansion — they were no longer victories. They were evidence. Proof of how deep he had gone.His hands trembled slightly.“What have I done to myself?”The empire he built had not collapsed because of Daniel alone. Da

Ethan had always believed he owned the world.Money bowed before him. Contracts bent in his favor. Judges reconsidered decisions when his name was mentioned. Even enemies eventually learned to retreat. For years, he had built his empire with the confidence of a man who thought himself untouchable.So when he saw the pictures, it felt like a slap across his pride.Daniel and Clara.On a beach. Laughing.Not hiding. Not struggling. Not afraid.Thriving.Ethan leaned back in his leather chair, staring at the images glowing on his phone screen. The sunlight in the photo reflected in Clara’s hair. Daniel stood beside her, relaxed, confident, protective.Ethan scoffed.“Is this not Daniel and Clara on a great vacation?” he muttered to himself. “Without minding what I have just done? After everything I tried? Is there anything Daniel is hiding from me… or is there something I’m not seeing clearly about them?”His jaw tightened.He had frozen contracts. Manipulated suppliers. Whispered rumors

Daniel had just arrived in town with Clara, and the entire city moved as if a king had returned from exile. From the moment his jet touched down at the airport, cameras flashed like lightning in a storm. News anchors repeated his name with excitement. Business analysts speculated on his next move. Social media exploded with messages about his comeback.Daniel Kane was not just a billionaire tech genius—he was a symbol. A man who had built empires from code, who had reshaped global industries with artificial intelligence and defense systems. His rivalry with Ethan had once shaken the corporate world, and now, after months of silence, he was back.Inside a darkened penthouse across town, Ethan and Turner watched the broadcast on a massive television screen.“They adore him like a god,” Ethan muttered, his jaw tightening as reporters spoke of Daniel’s return with reverence. “Not just that. He is respected more than presidents and kings. Look at them. They believe he came back with someth