Rachel didn’t know how long she stayed on the ground.The cold marble floor seeped through her thin skirt, sending chills through her body, yet she barely felt it. Her ears rang nonstop, drowning out the noise of the busy lobby around her. Footsteps passed by. Some slowed. Some stopped. Others whispered shamelessly.“Is that her?”“That’s the ex-wife.”“The one who cheated on the CEO?”Each word pierced her heart like a needle.Her once carefully maintained dignity had been torn apart in front of the entire world.Rachel struggled to sit up, her arms weak, her body trembling as if all her strength had been drained. Her handbag lay open beside her, its contents scattered across the floor—lipstick, documents, her phone.Her phone.She grabbed it desperately, her fingers shaking so badly she nearly dropped it again. Without thinking, she dialed the one number that had always made her feel secure.“Michael… please pick up,” she whispered hoarsely.The call rang.Once.Twice.Finally, it c

Rain poured from the sky as if the clouds had split open.Thick droplets slammed against the windshield, blurring the city lights into streaks of white and gold. Inside the car, the rhythmic swish of the wipers was the only sound cutting through the tense silence.Alex sat in the backseat, his posture relaxed, tablet resting on his knee. His eyes moved steadily across financial reports, graphs, and security briefings, but his mind wasn’t fully on the numbers.Something felt off.Not fear—Alex had lived with fear long enough to recognize it. This was sharper. More deliberate.The driver, a seasoned professional with over ten years of experience, kept both hands firmly on the steering wheel, eyes fixed on the road.“Sir,” the driver said cautiously, “the weather’s getting worse. We may need to slow down.”“Maintain control,” Alex replied calmly. “Not speed.”The driver nodded.They were halfway across the elevated highway when it happened.A sudden metallic snap echoed beneath the car.“

Night fell heavily over the city.Streetlights flickered on one by one, casting long shadows across the pavement. The air was damp, thick with the scent of rain and exhaust fumes. Somewhere in the distance, a siren wailed briefly before fading away.Leah stood outside the mansion’s front gate, hugging her coat tightly around herself.“I can’t stay locked inside all day,” she said softly.Alex stood a few steps away, his expression unreadable. “You’re not locked in. You’re protected.”Leah shook her head. “That’s not the same thing.”She had insisted on returning briefly to her restaurant to retrieve some documents and personal belongings. After hours of arguing, Alex had finally agreed—on one condition.He would personally accompany her.The black car idled quietly at the curb.“Five minutes,” Alex said. “We go in, get what you need, and leave.”Leah nodded. “I promise.”They got into the car.The restaurant was closed when they arrived. The street was quieter than usual, most shops al

The hospital room was silent except for the faint, steady beeping of the heart monitor.Alex lay awake, staring at the ceiling, his hands resting calmly on the blanket. The pain from his wound was there—dull, constant—but it no longer occupied his thoughts. Pain was familiar. What mattered now was timing.Old Man Cole stood near the window, speaking quietly into his phone. When he ended the call, his expression had hardened.“We’ve confirmed it,” he said. “The brake-line incident and the restaurant attack were coordinated. Same money trail. Offshore accounts.”Alex didn’t look surprised. “Liam?”“Yes,” Old Man Cole replied. “But the accounts are layered. Proxies. Shell companies. If we move legally, it’ll take months.”Alex turned his head slightly. “Months are a luxury I don’t have.”Old Man Cole sighed. “I know. But if you move too fast—”Alex’s phone buzzed.Both men froze.Alex picked it up slowly.Unknown number.He answered without hesitation. “Speak.”A distorted laugh came thr

Alex's hands shook as he dialed the number, a contact he'd hoped never to use, someone who operated in the shadows of the city and knew things the police couldn't find."I need a location," Alex said when the voice answered, his tone sharp and desperate. "Now."The man on the other end didn't ask questions, he never did, and within minutes Alex had coordinates. A place he recognized immediately, an abandoned Wilson family warehouse on the edge of the industrial district, a property that had been forgotten for years, left to rot while the empire grew elsewhere.Old Man Cole appeared in the doorway, bloodied and limping, his shirt torn and his face bruised, but his eyes were clear and determined."I got out," Cole said, breathing hard. "Broke through the cellar window, crawled up through the yard."Alex turned to him, relief flooding through him for just a moment before the urgency returned.“They have her at the old warehouse, the one my grandfather built."Cole's face went hard. "I