Seraphina adjusted the elegant black dress as she stepped into the glittering ballroom of the Oakhaven Grand Hotel. The gala was packed with the city’s elite — politicians, businessmen, and socialites sipping champagne while the Ghost Market revelations still played on every screen outside. She was no longer just Arthur Vale’s daughter. She was Lucian’s Chief of Staff now, and tonight she had a job to do.Lucian’s voice came through the tiny earpiece. “You don’t have to do this, Seraphina. We can find another way.”“I want to,” she replied softly, smiling at a passing couple. “These people still see me as the Golden Girl. They’ll let me get close. I’ll plant the bugs. Just watch my back.”She moved through the crowd with practiced grace, her old reputation opening doors. A senator’s wife greeted her warmly. “Seraphina, darling! We heard about your father. How are you holding up?”“Better than expected,” Seraphina replied with a perfect smile. “Lif

Lucian stood in the Ghost Hub, the walls covered with glowing monitors showing the city’s pulse. Seraphina leaned over a console beside him, her fingers flying across the keyboard as she monitored the latest Ghost Market activity. The air was thick with tension after the Mayor’s public humiliation.“Boss,” Silas called out urgently from his station, “we’ve got a major problem. The Governor just activated a specialized Cyber Task Force. They’re rolling in with military-grade satellite tracking and signal jammers. Their mission is to shut down the Ghost Market permanently.”Lucian turned sharply. “How close are they?”“Too close,” Silas replied. “They’re already triangulating our main relays using overhead satellites. They have real-time tracking on every active node.”Seraphina looked up, eyes wide. “Lucian, if they take down the network, everything we built collapses. The shelters, the debt relief, the strikes — all of it.”Lucian’s mind

Lucian stood in the Ghost Hub, the walls alive with monitors showing the city’s growing unrest. Seraphina paced beside him, still buzzing from the previous victories. Silas monitored the feeds while Jax leaned against a console, arms crossed.“We need to expose the corrupt unit in the 7th Precinct,” Lucian said. “They’ve been covering for the Vales and Ares Group for years. Beating people, planting evidence, protecting traffickers. We end them today.”Seraphina stopped pacing. “How? They’re protected. The Governor won’t touch them.”Lucian turned to the team. “We don’t fight them. We make them fight themselves on live television. A silent protest that looks like a riot on the news. The ‘rioters’ will be cleaning the streets — picking up trash, washing graffiti, planting flowers. The police will look like monsters when they attack people literally cleaning their city.”Jax grinned. “I love it. When do we start?”“Tonight,” Lucian said. “Wh

The Governor’s private office in the State House was thick with panic. Governor Elias Kane paced behind his mahogany desk, tie loosened, sweat soaking his collar. Lucian stood calmly in the center of the room, still wearing his faded black hoodie and scuffed boots.“You did this!” the Governor shouted, slamming a newspaper on the desk. The headline screamed: GOVERNOR KANE LINKED TO ARES GROUP TRAFFICKING SCANDAL.Lucian crossed his arms. “I didn’t create the scandal, Governor. I just made sure the truth came out. You were the one taking bribes from Ares to clear the slums for their operations.”Kane pointed a trembling finger at him. “You leaked the documents! You made it look like I was running the whole thing! My approval rating is in the toilet. The press is calling for my resignation!”Seraphina stood near the window, watching the exchange with sharp eyes. “Father tried the same thing. It didn’t end well for him.”The Govern