The remaining kidnappers stared at their leader’s corpse, their faces frozen in disbelief.How was this even possible? Their leader was a legend in the underworld—a man who’d evaded nationwide manhunts for three years, ranked in the gang’s top ten fighters. He’d killed men twice his size with his bare hands. And now he was just… dead? Killed in one move by some nobody in cheap clothes?In an instant, their morale shattered like glass.A scarred man they called Razor, raised his gun with trembling hands, pointing it at Kai. His arm shook so badly the barrel wavered in wide arcs. “S-stay back! I’ll shoot! I swear I’ll—”Kai started walking toward him.That was all it took.Razor’s nerve broke. The gun clattered to the floor as he clutched his head with both hands, dropping to his knees. “Please! Please don’t kill me! I have a family! I was just following orders!”The others collapsed immediately after, their earlier arrogance evaporating like smoke. They pressed themselves against the w

“Come upstairs with me.”Lila didn’t wait for an answer, already heading toward the staircase. After a moment’s hesitation, Kai followed. The silence between them felt tense, but Lila broke it as they climbed, her voice taking on the practiced tone she used for business presentations.“You should understand the family situation if Grandfather’s going to drag you into company affairs.” She kept her eyes forward, one hand trailing along the polished banister. “He stepped down from active management years ago. Officially retired. My father and his two brothers—my uncles—they’re all shareholders, but none of them actually work. They just collect dividends and spend it on whatever catches their fancy that week.”Kai made a small sound that might have been acknowledgment. Lila continued.“In my generation, there’s my male cousin Ethan—you haven’t met him yet, thankfullyand my female cousin who runs another branch. I handle Elysian Gems, the jewelry division.” A note of pride crept into her

“He’s my husband.” Lila’s voice cut through the tension. She stepped closer to Kai, her chin lifted in defiance even as her heart hammered against her ribs.Ethan’s face went slack with shock. His mouth opened and closed twice before any sound came out. “Your… what?”“You heard me.”“But—” Ethan’s eyes darted between them, his mind clearly racing. “When did you—how—” Then something shifted in his expression, panic replacing confusion. “No. No, this can’t be happening.”He whirled on his mother, on his grandmother, on anyone who would meet his eyes. “Who allowed this? Who gave permission for her to get married?” His voice climbed toward hysteria. “Without my approval—the eldest grandson’s approval, on what grounds did any of you let her marry anyone?”Victoria moved toward her son, hands raised in a placating gesture. “Ethan, please calm down—”“Calm down?” He laughed, a bitter sound. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? I had everything arranged! Everything! The debt would have bee

The Zenith Corporation lobby was all glass and polished marble, the kind of space designed to make visitors feel small. Lila’s heels clicked against the floor with each step, as her stomach churned with nerves.This is insane, she thought, stealing a glance at Kai walking beside her. He acts like he owns the place, but if this falls apart—if Vincent Shaw laughs us out of here, Grandmother will destroy him. And probably me too for bringing him.A woman behind the reception desk looked up as they approached. Her eyes swept past Lila and landed on Kai, and suddenly her posture changed completely. She stood quickly, smoothing her blazer, and bowed her head respectfully.“Welcome to Zenith Corporation,” she said, her voice almost reverent.Wait, what?Before Lila could process that, a man in a crisp suit emerged from a side corridor. The moment he spotted Kai, he stopped dead. His face lit up with recognition, and he immediately bowed, approaching quickly with his mouth already opening. “S

Vincent Shaw ended the call with a soft click, sliding his phone face-down on the polished mahogany table. His smile returned—warm, practiced, the kind that had closed billion-dollar deals and ruined competitors who mistook it for friendship."My apologies," he said smoothly, steepling his fingers. "Where were we?"Lila straightened in her chair, forcing her voice to remain steady despite the adrenaline still coursing through her veins. The roleplay pitch had been Kai's idea—absurd, humiliating—but Vincent had laughed, actually *laughed*, and for a moment she'd thought they had him."The Hartley-Zenith partnership," she said. "As I was saying, our jewelry division has the distribution network and brand recognition to—""Miss Hartley." Vincent's interruption was gentle but absolute. "May I be frank?"Her stomach dropped. *Here it comes.* The polite rejection. The consolation praise before he showed them the door."Of course," she managed.Vincent leaned back, his gaze drifting to the f