The expressions on the students’ faces changed the instant they recognized the owner of the silver Ferrari Monza SP2. At first, they had been dazzled by the multi-million-dollar hypercar. After all, very few people their age could afford a vehicle worth nearly two million dollars. But the moment Kane Blackthorne stepped out of the driver’s seat, the admiration in their eyes disappeared completely. In its place came disgust. Hatred. Contempt. The scandals surrounding Kane had already spread across the entire internet overnight. Stories about assault, corruption, illegal street racing, and several buried criminal accusations had surfaced one after another. Worse still, people discovered that this wasn’t even his first offense. He was a repeat offender protected by wealth and influence. Kane naturally noticed the judgmental stares aimed at him, but he ignored them entirely. Right now, he had far bigger problems to worry about. The Blackthorne Corporation was collapsing. In les

Lorenzo was momentarily caught off guard by Kane's audacity, but his composure returned almost instantly. The silver elixir he had consumed moments earlier had surged through his body like wildfire, amplifying his strength and sharpening his fighting instincts beyond what he thought possible. In one fluid motion, he sprang backward and delivered a devastating strike to Kane's forearm. The blow was precise and brutal, sending the blade spinning out of Kane's grip and clattering across the floor, well out of reach. The crowd that had gathered released a collective breath. Many had feared the worst, convinced Kane would succeed. What saved the moment was Lorenzo's exceptional combat training, which had allowed him to neutralize the threat before it could turn fatal. Lorenzo fixed Kane with a stare that could have frozen fire. Anyone watching could see the rage radiating off him in waves. He cursed himself for ever feeling anything resembling pity for this man. He had assumed that

Lorenzo sent the address through and slipped his phone back into his pocket. There was nothing else to do but wait. He left the conference room with Bianca falling into step behind him and made his way downstairs. He pushed through the front entrance and stood outside, hands relaxed at his sides, eyes on the road. Thirty minutes. That was all it took. Three white Rolls-Royce vehicles rolled up to the building in quiet succession. The doors opened and bodyguards stepped out first, moving with practiced efficiency. Then the rear door of the middle car swung open and his grandfather emerged, followed closely by Raymond. The guards formed around them immediately. Lorenzo walked over. "Grandfather, you really didn't have to come all the way out here—" His grandfather waved a hand, cutting him off without breaking stride. "Conference room. We have things to discuss." He said simply. Lorenzo pressed his lips together and said nothing further. He turned and led the way back

Lorenzo's grip on his phone tightened slightly when he saw the name. Olivia. He set his pen down. Two weeks had passed since that night. He had gotten her away from Kane, walked her back, and then she had done something that caught him completely off guard — pressed her lips briefly against his and disappeared through her door before he could even process what had just happened. He had told himself it didn't matter. What mattered was that she was safe. He had checked in a few times afterward purely for that reason, nothing else. But she never answered. Never responded to a single message. At some point he stopped and accepted it. People dealt with difficult experiences in different ways and if distance was what she needed he wasn't going to stand in the way of that. He answered. "Lorenzo." She said. Her voice was measured but he could hear something underneath it. Like she had rehearsed this. "Olivia." He replied. His tone was even but not warm. His mind was still half on the w

Lorenzo finally opened his mouth to speak, "I'll be in touch, Mr. Cole." Lorenzo said finally. He couldn't bring someone he had just met straight into his company. That wasn't how he operated. He needed to know more about Marcus Cole before any decision was made — who he actually was, how he had run things, whether the story he had told matched the reality behind it. Marcus nodded. His face dropped slightly but he kept himself composed. "Of course, Mr. Byers." He said quietly. "I'll wait to hear from you." He understood the position well enough. Lorenzo hadn't shut the door completely. That alone was more than any other firm had given him. He bowed once more and made his way out. The moment he was gone Lorenzo caught Bianca's eye. She was already ahead of him. A small nod told him she knew exactly what he needed. She slipped out of the office to begin digging into everything there was to find on Marcus Cole. Not two minutes after she left, Lorenzo's phone rang again.