The room didn’t breathe again until Chris moved.For a moment, everything stayed frozen in the aftermath of Desmond’s collapse. The scattered murmur of elites pretending not to stare, the sharp whisper of silk against marble, the faint clink of champagne glasses held too tightly.Then Chris exhaled, slow and controlled, as though nothing at all had happened.He adjusted his cuff and he brought out his phone to make a call. “Adrian, now.” he said quietly, not even raising his voice.“Yes, sir.” Adrian said as he was already moving.In no time, from the back of the hall, where shadows and discretion lived, Adrian stepped forward with two men behind him. They weren’t dressed like bodyguards. They were dressed like men who handled numbers too large to ever be spoken out loud.The men carried several briefcases in their hands as they walked briskly towards Chris.Desmond had suddenly woken up from his fainting after much pouring of water from his Charlotte, his secretary and bodyguards.T

A quiet murmur spread across the room again.The girls that were present looked at the necklace with jealous eyes.Some of them whispered amongst themselves.“I’m so jealous of Miss. Antonio… she got the guy with the looks and big pocket.” One of the girls said in a low tone.“I know… she is so lucky!” another one said.“What did you guys expect? She is the Antonio heiress! She deserves only the best.” One lady added.Michelle on the other hand felt her breath catch.“That’s… is that for me?” she whispered.Chris stood.Every head turned. The girls chimed in anticipation.The attendant carefully lifted the necklace, approaching him with both hands, as though it were something sacred.Chris took it. For a second, he just looked at it.Then… His gaze shifted. To Michelle.She felt it immediately. That look.It was different. Not calm. Not teasing. Something deeper.“Chris…” she said slowly.He stepped closer.“Do you trust me?” he asked.The question caught her off guard. “What?”“Do yo

Chris took her by the hand and led her to a rooftop. The city looked softer from up there.Michelle was still in a daze after she had heard what he said.She stood near the edge of the rooftop, arms folded loosely, her fingers tucked into her sleeves like she needed something to hold onto. The wind played with her hair, pushing it across her face, but she didn’t bother moving it away.Behind her, Chris was unusually quiet and he just stared at her. He wondered what was going through her mind after what he had told her.Finally, Michelle’s voice broke out, “So you decided to leave me after you promised me?” she asked in a low tone.Chris looked down at his feet. He knew whatever words he says right now would not comfort her.She turned slowly to look at him, “Okay? You do not have anything to say?” her tone was slightly impatient.Chris didn’t answer immediately. He had his back to her, one hand inside his coat pocket, like he was searching for something or maybe stalling.“Chris.” She

Few hours later, the plane landed and their ride was already waiting for them at the airport.The car ride was smooth.Chris rested his arm against the door, his fingers tapping lightly against the leather as he watched the city pass by.The buildings here were different, cleaner, sharper. Nothing out of place.Adrian sat in front, quiet as usual.The Godfather sat beside Chris calmly. His face void of any emotionsChris didn’t look at him immediately. In his heart, he had already figured out what this place was.Still…He turned slightly.“So this is where everything started.” He asked. His voice calm.The Godfather nodded once. “Yes.”Chris glanced out the window again. “Doesn’t look like the kind of place people build from scratch.”“They don’t. They take it… or they inherit it.” The old man replied.Chris gave a faint smile. “And today, I’m here to find out which one applies to me.”The Godfather didn’t smile back, but there was a quiet approval in his tone. “You’re here to see wha

Chris gave a small nod.The old man continued. “We call it the Energy Core. Not because it’s a perfect name, but because it’s the closest thing we have to describing it.”Chris raised a brow. “Energy… as in what? Electricity? Heat? Something scientific?”“In a way,” the Godfather said. “But not something you can plug into a machine and measure with basic tools.”Chris let out a quiet breath. “Alright… that is a little bit weird.”“Not weird,” the old man corrected calmly. “Just not common.”Chris smirked faintly. “Same thing.”There was a brief silence before the Godfather continued. “The Energy Core is tied to your nervous system,” he said. “Your brain, your eyes, your reflexes. It enhances how you process information.”Chris’s expression shifted slightly now. “I figured that out since you activated them.”The Godfather leaned back a little. “Exactly. You’ve already experienced it,” he said. “You just haven’t named it yet.”Chris frowned.Then thought about it. The moments during the