Chapter Two Adrian dropped the phone. The device clattered violently against the floorboards. His heart slammed against his ribs as he lunged forward, his knees hitting the cold floor as his shaking fingers scrambled to grab the phone. He flipped the screen over. He aggressively refreshed the mobile banking page. The balance loaded. The digits remained. One billion dollars. A sharp gasp tore from his throat. His chest tightened. His mind raced frantically for logic, but there was none to find. He grew up understanding scarcity. Numbers like this did not belong to people like him. They belonged to men who never asked how much something cost before purchasing it. The phone vibrated violently in his palm, the loud ring shattering the quiet room. An unknown number. The bank. They finally discovered the error. Of course, they couldn't wait a single hour to fix their own mistake. Adrian swiped the screen before the second ring finished, slamming the phone to his ear. “Did you see it?”

Chapter Four The gold flashing alert on the manager’s terminal split the quiet of the showroom. Especia, the senior salesgirl who had mocked Adrian moments earlier, stood frozen mid-smile. Her eyes dropped to the terminal screen, then to the sleek black card sitting on the glass counter. Her professional smile twitched, collapsing entirely. The scholarship beggar was a tycoon in disguise. Jason didn't buy the display for a second. He forced an arrogant chuckle, trying to hide the fact that his own personal account couldn't handle that kind of price tag. “Haha, do you honestly think I will cower because of a fake piece of plastic? Go on, debit it. Let's see if it doesn't get declined immediately. I’ll save your face by buying the piece myself after it fails.” The junior salesgirl reached for the black card with unsteady fingers, hurrying toward the register. “One moment,” she said, her voice shaking. “I will process the transaction.” Jason leaned back against a display case, folding

Chapter Six Lina lowered her phone and exhaled softly. “He says he is on his way,” she said, slipping the device back into her purse. Immediate looks flashed around the table. “You sound relieved,” her cousin Erica teased. A mesmerizing smile lit up her sharp features. Erica really did win the genetic lottery. She inherited those striking looks from the caucasian side of their shared grandfather’s lineage. Lina smiled faintly. “I am. He is never late. Even with his part-time business, he wouldn't disappoint me like this.” Still, an uneasy ache settled in her chest. Something was entirely off. Her words only fueled the surrounding curiosity. The long mahogany table took up most of the private lounge her parents reserved for the night. The room felt warm, filled with soft lighting and quiet music. Everything about the space screamed immense, effortless wealth. Erica leaned forward, a flirty smile on her lips. “So, this Adrian. You talk about him like he is some kind of genius.” L

Chapter Eight Before the tension in the room could snap, Arthur’s phone vibrated violently. He swiped the screen without a single look at his guests. “The Tokyo merger? Now?” Arthur’s voice was stone cold. “I’ll be in the car in two minutes. Tell the board to wait.” He hung up, tossed a dismissive glance toward Adrian, and grabbed his coat. “Martha, we have to go.” Arthur and Martha vanished into the hallway, leaving behind a final look that treated Adrian like a stain on the carpet. The heavy doors hissed shut. The atmosphere in the lounge curdled instantly. Without Lina’s parents in the room, Lukas bared his teeth. “You don’t need to prove anything, Adrian,” Lina said quickly, her voice sharp with anxiety. “This is my birthday. I didn’t invite you here to start trouble, Lukas.” Lukas smiled lazily, swirling his wine. “Relax. I’m just looking out for your reputation. If the sapphire is real, there’s nothing to hide. Adrian should be ashamed to pass off fake garbage to a prestigio

Chapter Ten The Skyline Lounge sat as the crown jewel of the Vista Hotel. Located on the fiftieth floor, its floor-to-ceiling glass walls turned the city lights into a field of fallen stars. Soft jazz filled the air, underlying the rich scent of expensive perfume and aged bourbon. Lukas claimed the grandest spot in the room, pushing three tables together. Mira and a dozen college students surrounded him, laughing loudly as they drank for free. "Another round of 1996 Dom Pérignon!" Lukas shouted, waving an arrogant hand at a passing waiter. "I told you all, the owner of this place and I are practically brothers. Did you see how they cleared the elevator for me? Tonight, we celebrate like kings!" Mira sat right beside him, but her mind was miles away. Three text messages sent to Adrian. Nothing but stone-cold silence in return. A sickening dread made her skin crawl. Her eyes kept darting back to the private elevator bank. Every single time the gold doors chimed, her body went rigid.