Isabella's whisper echoed in Jake's mind as he watched her walk away."I'll make you pay with your blood."Not a figure of speech. A promise.Jake immediately called Derek."I need full security. Now. Isabella just threatened me.""What kind of threat?""The serious kind. I need protection. Twenty-four seven."Derek didn't argue. "I'll have a team in place by tonight. Don't go anywhere alone until then."For the next week, Jake was careful. Derek assigned two bodyguards. Former military. They followed Jake everywhere. Watched his hotel room. Screened anyone who approached.But nothing happened. No incidents. No attempts. Just normal business.Jake started to relax. Maybe Isabella had just been venting. Angry words from someone who'd been humiliated.Week two passed. Still nothing.Derek suggested scaling back security. "She's not making a move. Probably just blowing off steam."Jake agreed. Reduced the detail to one bodyguard during the day. None at night.It was a mistake.Week three

Jake stepped away from the window immediately.His heart pounding. Someone had him in crosshairs. Right now. From across the street.He grabbed his phone. Called Derek."Someone's watching the building. Sniper position. Just sent me a photo with crosshairs on my chest.""Get to the safe room. Now."Jake moved fast. Down the hall. Into the reinforced bedroom. Slammed the door. Locked it.He could hear Derek's team mobilizing. Shouting. Movement. Footsteps running.Jake sat on the floor. Back against the steel wall. Breathing hard.His phone buzzed. Derek calling."We're sweeping the area. Stay in the safe room until I clear you."Twenty minutes later, Derek knocked. "Clear. You can come out."Jake opened the door. "Did you find them?""No. But we found the position. Rooftop across the street. Fresh boot prints. Cigarette butts. They were there for hours. Watching.""How did they know which window?"Derek's expression was grim. "They've been surveilling you. Learning your patterns. Wher

Jake flew to New York the next morning.Private jet. Derek Stone and two team members accompanying him. Derek wasn't happy about the trip."You're leaving your secure location to attend a party in a city you don't know. This is tactically unsound.""I need this alliance. It's worth the risk.""Who is this person you're meeting?""Sophia Laurent. Banking heiress. Eight billion dollar net worth."Derek raised an eyebrow. "And you think she'll help you because?""Because the System says she's a 94% compatible partner."Derek didn't argue. He'd seen the System's predictions come true too many times to doubt it now.They landed at Teterboro. A car waited. Black SUV. Armored. Derek had arranged it.The drive into Manhattan was tense. Derek kept scanning for threats. His team checked every vehicle that got too close.Jake's hotel was the Four Seasons. Presidential suite. Booked under a false name. More of Derek's paranoia. But Jake didn't complain.The charity gala started at seven PM. Jake

The press conference the next morning went perfectly.Sophia stood at a podium at the Plaza Hotel. Jake beside her. Cameras flashing. Journalists taking notes."Laurent Banking is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Morrison Development. We're investing one hundred million dollars immediately, with plans for additional capital infusion over the coming months."She outlined the details. Morrison Plaza expansion. Textile mill completion. Future projects under discussion.Jake added his remarks. "This partnership represents confidence in our vision. Laurent Banking's backing validates what we're building."Questions from reporters. All focused on the business. The money. The scope.Nobody asked about Isabella Torres. But everyone was thinking it.The article that afternoon: "European Banking Giant Backs Rising Developer Jake Morrison Despite Recent Controversies."By evening, Jake's phone was exploding. Investors wanting back in. Tenants reconsidering their departures. Contrac

Twenty seconds.Jake looked at Elena. Broken. Sobbing. Begging for help.Then at his phone. The System's countdown ticking.Fifteen seconds.His mind raced. Arguments for and against.She betrayed you. She chose Victor. She laughed while you suffered.But she's pregnant. Desperate. The baby didn't choose this.Ten seconds.Derek's voice in his head. "What kind of man do you want to be?"Five seconds.Jake made his decision.He called his assistant. "Transfer fifty thousand dollars to Elena Morrison's account. Today."Elena's head snapped up. "What?""Give me your account number."She fumbled for her phone. Hands shaking. Read off the numbers.Jake's assistant confirmed. "Transfer initiated. Should clear within an hour."He hung up. Looked at Elena. "That's fifty thousand. Covers six months rent, medical expenses, food. Use it wisely."Elena stared at him. Disbelief. "You're... you're really helping me?""I'm also helping you find an apartment. Somewhere decent. Safe for a baby. My ass