Chapter One Hundred and Forty-TwoThe Great Elder, Silas Vale, was on his hands and knees, scrambling toward the spittoon like a starving dog toward a bone. His fingers, adorned with jade rings worth millions, plunged into the murky water, ash, and cigar butts to retrieve the Sovereign Card."Found it!" Silas shrieked, his voice cracking with a hysterical, greedy joy. He held the dripping card aloft, oblivious to the grey sludge running down his silk sleeves. "The wealth of the Vales is mine! Adrian, you fool! You came here to save a dying girl, but you’ve given me the keys to the world!"Adrian stood in the center of the hall, his arms crossed over his stained sweater. He didn’t move to stop him. He looked like a man watching a clown finish a particularly pathetic performance."You really think," Adrian said, his voice cutting through the sycophantic murmurs of the guests, "that I would give the ultimate authority of the Vale lineage to a man who can’t even see he’s being evicted fr

Chapter One Hundred and Forty-FourThe Zimmerman Tower was a monolith of glass and steel.Leo Zimmerman sat in his leather-bound chair, swirling a glass of expensive scotch, watching Lina Andrew with the eyes of a wolf cornering a fawn."Lina, don't be difficult," Leo sneered, sliding a contract across the desk. "Your department is failing. Your husband is a literal garbage collector. If you sign over the logistics rights, I might find a place for you in my private office. If you don't, well, I hear your grandfather is quite old. It would be a shame if his medical insurance through the company were to suddenly lapse, wouldn't it?"Lina’s hands trembled on her lap. She looked at her phone hoping for a reply from Adrian but there was no reply from Adrian. She felt a wave of despair. "Leo, this is blackmail. My team has worked for these rights for years.""In this city, Lina, 'Rights' are bought by people with sovereignty. And you? You're married to a man who can't even afford a suit f

Chapter One Hundred and Forty-SixAdrian stepped out of the Southern Medical Center, his mind still on Emily’s recovery. He was heading toward his truck when he saw a sleek, silver Bentley Continental stalled right at the main hospital exit.A woman stood by the open hood, her brow furrowed in frustration. She wore a deep emerald silk dress that screamed high society—Seraphina Moore. She was clearly heading to a prestigious event, but the car had other plans."Excuse me," Adrian said, wiping his hands on his rag as he approached. "You’re blocking the ambulance lane. Need a hand?"Seraphina looked up. She saw a man in a faded, oil-stained jacket. To her, he looked like a hardworking laborer, likely struggling to pay the medical bills for a relative inside."The engine just died," Seraphina sighed, looking at her diamond-encrusted watch. "I have a charity gala in twenty minutes. The mechanic said it would take an hour to get here."Adrian didn't say a word. He leaned over the engine b

Chapter One Hundred and Forty-EightSeraphina had only told the truth that he thinks that the new Chairman of Azure trust and Ironclad, the two sovereign groups, was a mysterious man.After all he had been able to acquire a group that is worth thousands of millions if not more than, and to make it more mysterious he hasn’t shown himself whatsoever. Adrian took a sip of water, a faint, ironic smile playing on his lips. “Maybe he’s just a guy who hates bullies. Or maybe he’s just looking for a way to save someone he cares about. People like that usually don’t want to be found.”“Nonsense,” Seraphina countered, her competitive spirit flaring. “Power like that is meant to be seen. It’s meant to be harnessed. If I can find him, I can secure the Moore family’s future for the next century.” She looked at Adrian, her expression softening into a curious tilt. “But then again, you seem to have your own brand of intuition. If you were a mysterious billionaire, where would you hide?”Seraphina h

Chapter One-Hundred and Fifty“Speak!” Alexander barked, his voice cracking with the strain of his ego. “I would like to know how you con artists lie to others. Unless you’re just a bluffing coward who got lucky!”Adrian didn't even look up. He wiped his hands on a rag. “I didn’t want to expose you guys completely,” he murmured, his voice carrying a dry, ironic edge. “But if you insist, it would be rude of me to ignore a direct request. I was taught to always help those who are intellectually challenged.”The crowd gasped. A low-level truck driver was speaking to the wealthiest man in Kyoto as if he were a slow-witted child.“After the commotion you caused inside, there is nothing worse you can do!” Master Hollen spat, stepping forward. His professional reputation was currently smoldering in a pile of black plastic back on the stage. “You’ve insulted the history of the Qing dynasty! You’ve insulted the medical profession as a whole!”Adrian finally turned, leaning his back against the