Ethan didn’t answer immediately. He looked at Casper the way he looked at men who were about to make a mistake. “I expect you to take it seriously,” he said. “Because if you don’t, the consequences will not stay small.”Casper’s lips pressed together. “Consequences,” he repeated. “Are you threatening Titan Crest?”Ethan’s eyes held steady. “I’m protecting my wife,” he said. “If that protection collides with your company, then your company should ask itself why it chose the collision.” Ethan didn't make it known that he was a shareholder of Titan Crest. It may have been necessary at this point to prove that he too is interested in the success of the company but for some reason he didn't. Casper leaned forward slightly, frustration returning. “Janet knows the value Selene brings,” he said. “She knows the contracts, the port influence, the revenue.” He gestured toward the window, toward the docks in the distance. “She would never sabotage that. Not unless she wanted to destroy her own

“I’m asking you to stop your daughter before she forces the choice,” Ethan replied.Selene finally moved, just a small step forward, as if reminding Casper of reality.“Orson Vale’s cargo is loaded,” she said calmly. “Seven hundred thousand barrels. The Iron Meridian is ready to sail.” She let the numbers hang in the air. “That is great profit for Titan Crest.”Casper gave a stiff half-smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Yes,” he said quietly. “It is.”Ethan watched Casper closely. “We didn’t come here to threaten you,” he said. “But don’t mistake restraint for weakness. Handle this.”Casper swallowed, pride and fear colliding in his chest. “If Janet did this,” he said slowly, “then I apologize.” His voice sounded like it cost him something to say it. “This should not have happened under my roof.”Selene’s tone stayed polite. “Apologies don’t erase damage,” she said. “But they tell me who understands consequences.”Casper’s eyes lowered for a second, then rose again. “I will speak to h

Robert Gibson left the Gibson Pharmaceutical headquarters with his jaw locked so tight it made his temples ache. The glass tower behind him reflected the afternoon sun like a trophy, but it did nothing to fix what Ethan Ward had done to his pride. In the courtyard of Titan Crest, in front of Janet, in front of staff, in front of investors. Ethan had often spoken in ways and made Robert feel small. Robert hated that feeling more than he hated losses.Two bodyguards stepped ahead and opened the rear door of a black luxury SUV. Robert slid in without looking back. The scent of leather and faint cologne filled the cabin, expensive and cold. His close associate, Mina, entered from the other side and shut the door softly, like she was afraid any sound might break him.For a full ten seconds, neither of them spoke.Mina finally cleared her throat. “Twenty billion dollars isn’t casual money,” she said carefully. “Even for the circles you and I move in.”Robert stared out the window as th

The warning in the prisoner’s eyes did not scare Robert Gibson. It annoyed him.Robert stood still, hands relaxed at his sides, as if the room was an office and the blood on the floor was just a stain someone else would clean. The prisoner breathed hard, lifting his head with effort, and the ropes creaked against the chair as his body tried to stay upright.“You don’t know who you’re messing with…” the man rasped.Robert gave a quiet laugh. “That’s what everyone says when they run out of answers,” he replied. He looked at the two men behind the chair. “Keep him awake. If he faints, we start again.”One of the men nodded and struck the prisoner’s shoulder. “Stay awake you son of a bitch,” he muttered.The prisoner groaned, head rolling once, then snapping back up as pain forced him alert. In the corner, the prisoners wife clutched her children, shaking so badly her teeth clicked. Her eyes stayed on Robert like he was a storm that had learned how to smile.Mina stepped a little clos

Robert’s whisper did not sound like fear. It sounded like hunger.The prisoner slumped in the chair, chest rising in short bursts, his mouth was stained dark from the beating. His wife held their children tighter in the corner, eyes wide and glassy, as if she was watching a stranger decide whether her family deserved air.Mina stood near the doorway, still and tense. She had known Robert long enough to know that this recent victory was different. This was the kind of victory that did not end in signatures.Robert’s shoulders were relaxed, but there was something restless in his eyes. It was not satisfaction. It was appetite. The kind that only grew after being fed.The prisoner swallowed and forced the words out again, like he was hoping repetition could save him. “You know now,” he rasped. “You know who Ethan is. Let my family go.”Robert stared at him as if he was considering an offer. Then his mouth curved slightly. “You did well,” he said, voice calm. “You were stubborn. I respe