At 7 PM, the Morte Tower meeting room was lit only by the glare of the building lights outside. River checked his phone, muttering to himself. "Why at 7 in the fucking evening?" He still obeyed, entering the room to find Merk already sitting there, looking thoroughly miserable.River: "Merk, you're here!!!" Merk gestured around the luxurious but empty room with clear distaste. "Man... I really don't want to be your Manager... This isn't even a promotion for me..." River: "Then why are we here?" Before Merk could answer, the door swung open. A young woman entered, wearing a long gray trenchcoat cinched by a wide gold belt over a white turtleneck dress. She carried herself with an easy, undeniable authority. She smiled brightly. "Good morning, River! Good morning, Merk!" River and Merk exchanged a quick, involuntary glance. They stood up simultaneously to shake hands, their movements stiffly formal. The young woman continued, her voice professional and warm. "My name is Klea Ciccon

The screens of five phones lit up, showing four worried faces and one working out. It was nine in the evening, the air thick with tension. Teggo: "Not me, Ellvys."All four voices overlapped in confusion.All four: "What?"Teggo: "Well, Ellvys says earlier today that 'We Are All Fucked Up!' but it's not 'we'. Why should I?!" Merk: "Ellvys is not joking, Teggo."River: "He's Teggo. If he's not like that, he's Imposter." Teggo: "Hey, hey, hey, all I'm saying is, Onyx and Ellvys can work with me. C'mon, you know how wealthy~"Merk: "I get your humor but we're not joking!" Teggo: "And we sound kids." Teggo propped his phone up so the four could still see him working out, completing sit-ups in his gym while wearing wireless earbuds. He finished a set, breathing hard, then asked, "So Onyx... Ellvys... aren't you going to accept that?" Onyx: "I don't. Would you chat or talk to Madame Morte that she could relocate Miya since she's new."Teggo: "Let's see." Ellvys: "Teggo, I want a chan

The bass thumped through the exclusive club in a county far from the Morte Tower. It was 1 AM, and the venue was pulsing with energy, but Teggo was focused, standing in a quieter VIP booth surrounded by his core allies: Merk, Onyx, Ellvys, and River. Teggo: "Listen up. Three days left. We are not losing this." River: "We know, Teggo. But what’s the updated strategy?" Teggo: "We focus on us. We leave Zander/Ice out of it. He cannot remember, and if he glitches again during the critical moment, we're all done. His protection? No need, as long as he's still Ice. Our problem is dismantling Sable's deal." Merk: "So we operate as five separate units, all targeting that final property contract." Teggo: "Exactly. Everyone has their specific job. No deviations." Teggo pointed at Onyx and Ellvys. "You two stay invisible. Do not be caught anywhere near that final Morte signing event. If Sable sees you, the plan burns." Onyx: "I'm securing the physical location remotely. I’ll make sure all

The glare of the midday sun bounced off the sapphire water surrounding the island resort in Singapore. Teggo and the rest of Zander/Ice's friends; Merk, Onyx, Ellvys, and River were lounging in the shade of a private cabana. Despite the luxury, a cloud of disbelief hung over them. Sable had won the Morte property deal. River: "I still can't believe I delivered the final file. I was standing right there, watching him sign. I failed." Merk: "Don't say that, River. Sable moved too fast. He pushed the date, he displaced Onyx and Ellvys right as we were about to hit the switch. He knew someone was working against him." Ellvys: "He didn't know us. He just knew we were working on Morte files, so he burned all assets that were not explicitly loyal. Like me, the analyst, and Onyx, the guard. It was a paranoid, preemptive strike." Onyx: "A lucky strike that cost us Morte's future." Teggo: "Luck? No." Teggo leaned forward, pulling their attention away from the disaster. "That's why I started

SMILING AND CLAPPING t was 9 AM, Saturday morning, and the Morte palace grounds were quiet. Zander/Ice was preparing one of the fleet cars near the service entrance when Sable found him. Madame Cassandra Morte was nowhere in sight.Sable: "Driver! Polish the hood of my car again! I can still see dusts clearly, and that offends me." Ice: "I'm the family driver, sir. Not the detailer." Sable stepped closer, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "In this house, you are whatever I say you are. You are out of payroll, working on my grandfather's pity. Are you arguing with me, lowlife? Remember your place. Look down when you address a Morte." Zander/Ice didn't argue further, nodding and returning to the car, still looking down upon the ground. Sable stalked away, satisfied with his early-morning domination. At 10 AM, Sable was at the Morte corporate building, savoring his victory when his father, Iñigo Morte, found him in his executive office. Iñigo Morte: "Sable! Son! Congratulations