Fifteen seconds remained.Marcus looked directly into the camera that Wright had set up in his office."Mr. Rowan," he said, speaking to Elias through the screen. "I've run Remington Automotive for thirty years. Built it from regional company to national powerhouse. And I did it through ruthless competition, corner-cutting, and prioritizing profit over everything."Ten seconds."I've watched you destroy nine families in nine minutes. And I've watched six families pledge to serve you. And I understand what you'

Not fast. Impossibly fast. One moment she was three feet away. The next, she had his wrist twisted at an angle that made the gun clatter to the floor. He screamed."The Sanctum Order has monitored your family for twenty years," Yuki said calmly, maintaining the wrist lock. "Waiting for the right moment to dismantle you. The Crown Bearer provided that moment."She forced Dominic to his knees beside Gregory and Richard.All three "hidden power" patriarchs on the ground. All three destroyed in less than five minutes.Elias walked toward them slowly, each footstep echoing in the suddenly silent room."You came here," Elias said quietly, "thinking you were hidden threats I didn't know existed. Thinking you could intimidate me with guns and security guards. Thinking you were smart because you operated in shadows."He crouched down to their level."But I knew about you. All three of you. My intelligence director has been tracking you for weeks. My financial officer has been analyzing your ho

The waiting lasted exactly fourteen minutes.Elias stood in Hargrave's main hall, his court assembled around him, watching news coverage of the explosions spreading across Veriton. Twenty-three buildings destroyed. Estimated casualties climbing. Emergency services overwhelmed.And every news outlet asking the same question: "Did Elias Rowan's operation cause this?"Then his system flared urgent warning:ALERT: INCOMING PROJECTILE CLASSIFICATION: MILITARY-GRADE MISSILE TRAJECTORY: DIRECT IMPACT ON ESTATE TIME TO IMPACT: 8 SECONDS"MISSILE!" General Steele shouted, grabbing Lord Hargrave. "EVERYONE DOWN—"The missile struck.Not the main building. The guest house. Fifty yards from where they stood.The explosion was deafening. Windows shattered. The building collapsed into flaming rubble.Before anyone could recover, Elias's phone rang.Unknown number. Synthesized voice."That was a warning shot, Crown Bearer. Next one hits the main building. You have three minutes to evacuate before we