Luca rose immediately, his hand extended, his smile carefully calibrated to convey respect without subservience."Director Shadow! What an honor. I'm Luca Max….."Kai walked past him.Didn't slow, glance, or acknowledge the outstretched hand at all.He pulled out his chair, settled into it with the ease of a man accustomed to deference, and fixed Luca with a cold, level stare."I'm busy. Get to the point."The words landed like ice water.Luca's hand hung in the air for a beat too long before he withdrew it, his smile frozen, his eyes flickering with something that might have been anger if he'd dared to feel it. But he didn't dare. His father's warning echoed in his mind: Don't offend anyone connected to that hospital. Not now, not ever.So Luca swallowed his pride, sat down, and nodded like a man who hadn't just been publicly dismissed."Of course, Director. I apologize for taking your time."John and Tracy exchanged glances, not of offense, but of intrigue.This man was mysterious

Zara's resistance crumbled."Fine," she whispered. "Fine. Do what you have to do."That very day, the Black family set their destruction in motion.John visited the bank first, using Luca's name like a skeleton key. The loan officers, eager to curry favor with anyone connected to the Max family, approved the mortgage against the house and the old car with record speed. Paperwork was expedited. Signatures were collected. By morning, the funds would be released.But it wasn't enough.So John made other calls. Visited other addresses. By evening, he had secured additional loans, over a million dollars, from local loan sharks who didn't ask questions and didn't care about repayment terms beyond the extreme interest rates and the consequences of failure.When the funds arrived the next morning, John wasted no time.He poured every dollar into the project. Purchased massive quantities of waterproofing and fireproofing materials, enough to supply the entire Treasure Hospital renovation. Tr

The men were sent by Luca. They stood like statues by the door, their presence a silent threat, a reminder that the Black family no longer needed to rely on their own strength. Tracy stepped forward and slammed the divorce agreement onto the small table in front of Adam. "Sign it," she barked, her voice dripping with command. "Right now. And the moment you're done, get out of this house. It belongs to me now."Adam looked at the documents for a long moment. Then, slowly, he reached out and picked them up.He skimmed them casually, his expression betraying nothing. But beneath the calm exterior, a cold sneer formed in his heart. The way he looked at the Black family grew icier by the second.The agreement demanded everything. The house—his house. All material assets. The accident compensation money—the very funds meant to compensate him for the injuries she had caused. He was to leave with nothing. Absolutely nothing.Adam read the line twice, three times, ensuring his eyes weren't

Luca ushered the Black family into a private dining room at Vancouver's most exclusive restaurant—the kind of place where the menu had no prices because if you had to ask, you couldn't afford it.The Black family didn't ask.They ordered with reckless abandon, their greed on full display. Jaxson demanded the finest steak, cooked rare, with a side of imported foie gras. Zara's eyes scanned the wine list greedily, selecting a bottle that cost more than most people's monthly rent. John, still riding high on his victory, ordered the chef's tasting menu plus every decadent addition he could find.Tracy sat beside Luca, one hand resting possessively on his arm, the other protectively on her belly.She barely glanced at the menu—simply told the waiter to bring whatever was most expensive.After dinner, Luca dropped them at their home with promises to handle the "Adam situation" personally.The Black family tumbled through their front door, giddy with champagne and triumph.Jaxson collapse

The office was vast—floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the glittering city, a desk the size of a small car, artwork on the walls that cost more than most people's houses. Luca pushed the front door open without knocking, his attention was fixed on the man behind the desk.Titan Alessandro looked up as Luca entered, then returned his gaze to the documents in his hands.He was young, mid-twenties at most, with an approachable, almost gentle appearance. Soft features, easy smile, the kind of face that made people want to trust him. He looked like an ordinary good guy, the sort you'd invite for a beer without hesitation.Luca knew better.In Vancouver's elite circles, Titan Alessandro was legendary. The eldest two Alessandro brothers were rarely seen, almost vanished from public view, their whereabouts a mystery that fueled endless speculation. But Titan? Titan was the one openly groomed as successor. The face of the family. The heir apparent.And behind that gentle appearance was a