"But India changed me, Sage," Ronav whispered, his eyes burning with a dark, intense fire. "Unlike other religions, being a Buddhist does not merely teach you religious principles. It isn't just about closing your eyes and praying for peace. It teaches you deep, fundamental morals. It teaches you psychological values, discipline, and the absolute mastery of the mind."Ronav leaned forward, his gaze locked intensely with his brother's."And those values, Sage... those values will, in the long run, turn a slave into a King."The words hung in the air, heavy and loaded with venom. *Turn a slave into a King.* It wasn't just a proverb. It was a declaration of war masked as a plea for peace. Ronav was tired of being the subservient, exiled half-brother. He wanted his crown.The atmosphere in the room had grown incredibly thick. The tension was palpable, vibrating against the crystal chandeliers above. Things were getting far too emotional, far too complicated, and far too dangerous for a si

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.The alarm clock on the nightstand screamed, a sharp, metallic rhythm that completely ignored the quiet, insulated luxury of the Walters mansion.If anyone were to walk into the master suite right now, they would assume a localized hurricane had just touched down inside the room. The room was massive, easily two thousand square feet of prime real estate featuring vaulted ceilings and expensive custom-made Italian furniture. But the current state of the room was an absolute, undisputed disaster.Thick, heavy legal binders were tossed haphazardly across the plush Persian rug. Loose papers, covered in frantic red and black ink annotations, were stacked like unstable Jenga towers on every available flat surface. Three different ceramic mugs sat abandoned on the floor near the desk, two of them housing the cold, dark remains of black coffee, the third tipped over on its side.In contrast to the messy room, the huge, custom-made California king bed in the center of t

Nathan stared at the elongated black velvet box in Dwayne’s massive hands. His mind immediately went to the worst-case scenarios. A solid gold signet ring? A flashy diamond chain? Some ridiculous piece of jewelry that screamed 'spoiled rich kid' to anyone within a five-mile radius?"I swear, Dwayne, if that is a diamond-studded Rolex, I am throwing it out the window," Nathan warned, eyeing the box with deep suspicion.Dwayne didn't say a word. He just offered a rare, faint smirk and popped the lid open.There was no jewelry inside. Resting on a bed of dark satin was a sleek, rectangular slab of matte carbon fiber. It looked like a heavy, high-tech credit card, adorned with nothing but a minimalist, silver crest of the Walters family in the dead center.Nathan blinked, his brow furrowing. "What is this? A new security pass? A credit card??""Follow me, Young Master," Dwayne said, snapping the box shut and slipping it back into his jacket.Ten minutes later, the elevator doors slid open

Braxton College was a lot louder than usual. The Summit was scheduled for next week, and the whole campus seemed to be buzzing with a chaotic, nervous energy.Over by the quad, a group of freshers blocked the main walkway, trying to nail a synchronized trending dance for TikTok. Near the bleachers, the football team was running drills, the coach’s whistle cutting through the morning air. Under the shade of the old oak trees, a couple was in a full-blown screaming match about hidden text messages and who cheated first.Just a regular Tuesday.Mark hurried down the paved path, his designer sneakers scuffing hard against the concrete. He was trailing a few steps behind Amanda, practically tripping over himself to keep up with her fast pace."Amanda, come on. Just stop for a second," Mark pleaded, grabbing at the air. "Come back to me. Look, I’m sorry for hitting you."She didn’t stop. Her heels just clicked aggressively against the pavement.This was the fourth time this week Mark had tr

"Nate! Wait! Please, just listen to me!"Amanda’s voice cracked, echoing sharply across the concrete of the parking lot. She took a few desperate, stumbling steps forward, her expensive heels clicking frantically against the pavement.But Nathan didn't stop. He didn't even turn his head. He just kept walking, his hands casually shoved into the pockets of his tailored charcoal trousers, until his silhouette completely disappeared into the cool, morning shadows of the campus building.He was gone.Amanda stood there in the middle of the walkway, her chest heaving, her hands trembling. She felt entirely naked. She had just laid her pride bare, practically begging the boy she had once treated like garbage to take her back, and he had treated her like a minor inconvenience on his way to class.The silence that followed wasn't actually silent. It was filled with the low, buzzing murmur of the Braxton College student body.Dozens of students were still lingering around the parking lot. Some