It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, with the warm sun shining over the emerald green of the private golf course. Bruce stood at the tee with a relaxed stance, holding his club loosely in his hands. A small group of club members gathered around him, observing him closely. They were all wealthy businessmen and executives from various industries. Each of them were acquainted with him as Bruce Smith, the rising star at Shepherd Group.One of them, a stout man with a flushed face and a hearty laugh, leaned on his club. "So, Bruce, I've been hearing a lot about Shepherd Group's decision to invest heavily in artificial intelligence. Bold move. Everyone's talking about it."Bruce lined up his shot, his eyes focused on the ball. "It's the future," he said plainly. "Shepherd Group has always been about evolution. We either adapt or we perish."Another man, slender and wearing glasses, shook his head. "But $20 trillion dollars? Really? That's a massive gamble. I've seen companies try to brea

The black sedan was speeding toward him, its windows lowering as a flash of metal appeared inside. Bruce's instincts screamed loudly. He turned around, instinctively raising his hand—the ring on his finger catching the dim light. The first shots rang out. Bullets tore through the air, aimed directly at his chest. But they never reached him. As the projectiles approached, they suddenly veered off course, repelled by an unseen force enveloping his body like a shield. The shooters' eyes widened behind their weapons. They fired another burst of bullets, but each round ricocheted harmlessly through the air around Bruce. "What the hell?!" one of the men shouted. Bruce stood still, his hand raised, the ring pulsing with power. His eyes were calm and focused on them like a predator. The driver slammed down on the accelerator, desperate to escape. Bruce lowered his hand and spoke a single word, his voice deep and commanding. "Stop." The car's engine suddenly sputtered, coughed, and

Lucy's eyes slowly opened as the morning light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Her head throbbed, and her face felt stiff and tight. She raised a trembling hand to her cheek and felt the rough texture of bandages. She turned her head and suddenly froze. Blake sat beside her with a calm demeanor, his hands clasped in his lap. There was a softness and gentleness in his eyes, completely unlike the monster she saw just last night. Lucy scrambled backward, pressing herself against the headboard as her breath came in short gasps. She stared at him as though he were a giant spider on her bed, venomous and ready to strike at any moment. "Easy," Blake said, his voice calm and soothing. "Relax and take it easy. You're safe now." Lucy's hand shot to her face, feeling the bandages. "What did you do to me?" "I had you patched up," Blake said calmly. "You had some cuts and a few bruises. Nothing that won't heal." Lucy's eyes burned with rage. "Where's Tyler?! What did you do t

Bruce thought back to three years ago, when one of his billionaire acquaintances had first told him about Genesis Aerospace. He had barely given it a second thought at the time—a struggling little company on the verge of bankruptcy. He had pumped in $100 billion without thinking much of it. It was just another investment he could watch grow like a plant.Returning from Tibet, Bruce had been surprised to learn that the same struggling company he had invested in had grown into a trillion-dollar empire, rivaling Shepherd Group. He kept silent about it. Victoria was already heated about Genesis Aerospace, and Blake was becoming insufferable on TV. Bruce didn't want to complicate things by revealing himself too early.So he kept silent, using it as a trump card. Should Blake do anything stupid.He turned to face the room, his eyes settling on Blake, who sat frozen in his chair, his body trembling. His face was pale, his eyes wide with disbelief. The empire he had spent years building

Later that day, the door to Lucy's hospital room swung open as Tyler hurried inside. His face was pale, with a bandage wrapped around his forehead, yet his eyes lit up with relief as soon as he saw his mother."Mom!" He crossed the room in seconds, and Lucy pulled him into a tight embrace, her tears soaking into his shoulder."Tyler. "Thank God. Thank God you're safe," she said, holding him at arm's length as she examined his face and the bandages on his head. "Are you okay? Does it hurt?"Tyler shook his head, his voice trembling as he spoke. "I'm fine, Mom. Bruce's people took care of me. They said I had a concussion, but I'm okay."Lucy looked up at Bruce, who stood near the window, his hands in his pockets, watching them with a small smile on his face."He was treated for the concussion," Bruce said gently. "He's going to be fine. He just needs rest."Lucy released Tyler and wiped her eyes before turning to Bruce. "I don't know how to thank you. You saved us again. How did you—"B