Hartford Group Headquarters - 3:47 PMMarcus Steel's BMW pulled into the Hartford Group parking garage, the engine's purr echoing off concrete walls. He'd just left Titan Group after declaring war on Golden Eagle Group, and now he was returning to face the vipers' nest that was Quinn's own family.As he walked toward the main entrance, two familiar figures blocked his path.Zachary Hartford stood there in an expensive three-piece suit, his aged face twisted into a satisfied smirk. Beside him sat Oliver Hartford in a wheelchair, his face still bruised and swollen from Marcus's beating days earlier, both legs in casts, but his eyes burning with vindictive glee."Well, well, well," Oliver sneered, his voice dripping with malicious satisfaction. "If it isn't the great Marcus Steel. The nobody who married a Sacred Saintess and thought he could play with the big boys."Marcus stopped, regarding them with the same calm indifference he'd give to insects crawling on the sidewalk. "Oliver. Zach

Hartford Group Boardroom - 4:15 PMThe boardroom was packed beyond capacity. Twenty-three people crowded around the massive conference table, with more standing against the walls—every Hartford family shareholder, every board member who smelled blood in the water, every vulture eager to watch the Sacred Saintess fall.At the head of the table, Zachary Hartford sat in the chairman's seat like an enthroned king, his aged face radiating vindictive satisfaction. Oliver's wheelchair was positioned to his right, both legs in casts but his expression twisted with malicious glee.Tessa Hartford stood near the window, her sharp features animated with spite as she addressed the assembled crowd. "Today, we finally put an end to this farce! Quinn Hartford and her worthless husband have brought nothing but disaster to this company. It's time they learned their place—on the street where they belong!"Murmurs of agreement rippled through the room."The Sacred Saintess," Wesley Hartford sneered from

Quinn Hartford sat in the chairman's seat, her hands folded on the polished conference table, her expression a mask of cold indifference.But Marcus, standing beside her with one hand resting lightly on her shoulder, could feel the tremors of anxiety running through her Sacred Saintess aura—golden energy flickering nervously like candle flames in a storm.The entire Hartford family watched with predatory anticipation. Twenty-three pairs of eyes fixed on Quinn, waiting for her to crack, waiting for the announcement that would destroy her.Marcus pulled out the chair beside Quinn's and sat down, utterly relaxed, his dragon aura wrapping invisibly around her divine energy in layers of protective power."How dare you!" Zachary Hartford's voice cracked from his humiliating position on the tiny red plastic stool in the corner. His knees were nearly up to his chest, his expensive suit bunched awkwardly, but his eyes burned with vindictive fury. "You're not even a board member! You have no ri

Zachary Hartford stared at Oliver's pale, shocked face from his humiliating position on the tiny red plastic stool, and a slow smile spread across his aged features."That bad, is it?" Zachary said with malicious satisfaction. "Oliver, my boy, don't keep us in suspense. How much did it fall? Seven percent? Ten? More?"He misread his grandson's horror completely, interpreting shock as vindication rather than devastation.Oliver's mouth worked soundlessly, his hands trembling on the laptop as if the device had suddenly become radioactive."Oliver!" Zachary barked. "I asked you a question! How much did the stock FALL?!""It—" Oliver's voice cracked. "Grandfather, it didn't fall. It—it rose. Five percent."The words hung in the air like an impossible phantom.Zachary's smile froze on his face. "What did you just say?""Hartford Group's stock price rose by FIVE PERCENT!" Oliver's voice rose to a near-hysterical pitch. "It's up to forty-seven twenty-five! We—we lost! The bet, the agreement,

Golden Eagle Group Headquarters - Five-River Province - 6:23 PMStanislaus Potter's phone hadn't stopped ringing for the past hour. One after another, business magnates from across Five-River Province called to pledge their support—corporate titans eager to prove they wouldn't be shown up by Owen Cooper and his Titan Group."Mr. Potter, this is Chairman Liu from Central Province Construction. I'm prepared to invest five hundred million in Golden Eagle Group's assault on Hartford—""Stanislaus, it's Victor Zhang. My investment firm can contribute three hundred million to your campaign—""Potter, we can't let Cooper humiliate Five-River Province's business community. Diamond Properties pledges one billion—"The pledges poured in like a flood, each magnate trying to outdo the others in displays of loyalty and wealth. Within an hour, Stanislaus had secured commitments totaling over eight billion dollars—more than enough to crush any mid-sized corporation.But when his financial advisor bu