Hilton Verda’s voice was warm enough to sound harmless, and that made Ethan distrust it even more.Ethan kept the phone to his ear and looked toward the door Selene had just closed. Her warning still sat heavily in the room, and now the man she had named was greeting him with perfect respect. “Dr. Verda,” Ethan said calmly. “This is unexpected.”Hilton gave a soft laugh. “I understand, Grand Master Ethan. You are a busy man, and I would not interrupt you without a worthy reason. I have followed your recovery plans for Verdanis with great interest. The country needs builders now, not just fighters.”Ethan’s fingers rested on the edge of his desk. “You called to discuss recovery?”“Yes,” Hilton replied smoothly. “A medical recovery project, to be precise. VerdaLife has completed early work on a treatment and rehabilitation program for patients suffering from paralysis. War veterans, accident victims, and those abandoned by ordinary medical systems will benefit greatly if this project su

“How did you know Hilton Verda would contact me today?”Selene lifted her gaze back to him. “Because Gideon is weakening. When one pillar shakes, the others test the ground.”“That is not an answer.”Selene held his gaze without blinking. For a moment, she looked as though she wanted to say far more than she allowed herself to."I know," she admitted quietly. "But sometimes the safest answer is the only one a person can give."Ethan's expression remained hard. "Safe for who?" he asked.Her eyes dropped for only a heartbeat. "For you."“It is the only answer I can give you safely.”Ethan gave a quiet laugh, but there was no warmth in it. “Safely. You keep using words like danger and safety, but you never give me the truth behind them.”Selene’s face tightened. “I gave you the truth that matters. Stay away from Hilton. Kill him if you can.”“No,” Ethan said. “You gave me an order and dressed it like concern.”A flicker of hurt crossed Selene's face."If all I wanted was obedience," she

Gideon Harrick was being celebrated by the whole nation while the evidence that could destroy him sat inside Ethan Xavier’s secure servers.About three days later, every major media station in Verdanis was talking about the incoming presidential election. Polling panels flashed across screens. Political commentators smiled behind glass desks. Newspaper headlines described Gideon Harrick as unstoppable, disciplined, and ready to lead the country into a new era. By noon, the phrase had spread everywhere: The Future President.Inside Gideon’s campaign headquarters, staff members moved with the confidence of people who believed victory had already arrived. Volunteers carried posters. Media advisers adjusted speeches. Donors called in with fresh promises of money. Gideon stood at the center of it all, dressed in a dark suit, smiling as if the nation had already placed the crown on his head.A campaign aide approached him with a tablet. “Sir, the latest numbers are even better than yesterd

Don Alvaro turned slowly, phone still in hand. His eyes scanned Ethan’s plain clothes and old shoes before amusement spread across his face. “Who is this?”Ethan ignored the guard. “A fixed fight involving the hard earned money of millions of Verdanis citizens is not private business. Call it off.”Don Alvaro lowered the phone from his ear and stared for a second before laughing. “Did you hear that?” he asked his guards. “This poor man thinks he walked into a courtroom.”One guard smirked. “Maybe he lost money already and wants to cry early.”Ethan’s voice remained calm. “The country is recovering from a civil war. People are desperate. Many of them are betting because they believe the fight is fair. You are about to steal from them.”Don Alvaro’s smile faded slightly. “And who told you to stand beside my car and listen to my conversation?”“You were loud enough for honest men to hear.”That answer drew a sharp look from the guards. A few people nearby began slowing down, sensing tro

Ethan moved just enough for the fist to cut through empty air. His hand caught the guard’s wrist, twisted once, and drove the man down with a sharp crack. The guard screamed and dropped to one knee, clutching his arm.The crowd gasped.For a heartbeat, nobody moved. Even those who had expected Ethan to be beaten stood frozen, trying to understand what they had just witnessed. The first bodyguard had fallen so quickly that it looked less like a fight and more like a lesson.The second guard charged immediately, trying to strike Ethan from the side. Ethan stepped in instead of stepping back. His elbow hit the man’s ribs, his knee drove into the guard’s thigh, and the man collapsed hard onto the pavement, his leg folding beneath him at a painful angle.Don Alvaro’s eyes widened. “What are you idiots doing? Get him!”His voice carried more frustration than fear, but the crack in his confidence was beginning to show. These men had protected him for years without ever failing. Watching one