“Tell the heir the Mercer family is not a place people survive for long.”The words followed Kai all the way down the stairs.Rain pounded against the apartment building while Walter’s men moved quickly around them. Nobody spoke much. Nobody wasted movement.Everything felt controlled.Too controlled.Kai kept one arm around his mother as they descended the narrow back staircase.She was breathing harder now.Every few seconds, another cough shook her shoulders.“We’re almost there,” Kai whispered.“I’m alright.”“You keep saying that.”She smiled weakly. “Because you panic every time.”Kai looked away.Because she was right.He always panicked when it came to her.The back exit opened into a dark alley behind the building. Rainwater rushed along the cracked pavement while the black SUVs waited nearby with engines running.Walter opened the rear passenger door personally.“Please.”Kai didn’t move.Walter looked at him quietly. “What is it?”Kai stared at the vehicles.Everything abou

“And tonight, a lot of people suddenly became afraid.”The words stayed with Kai long after Damien disappeared down the hallway.Walter led him upstairs in silence while soft lights glowed along the massive corridors of the estate. The mansion no longer felt luxurious to Kai.It felt watchful.Like every wall had ears.Like every person inside already knew his name.Kai loosened his grip slightly on the garment bag in his hands.“Do people here always talk like they’re planning a murder?” he muttered quietly.Walter glanced back at him.“Only when money is involved.”Kai almost smiled at that.Almost.They reached the end of the upper hallway where two security guards stood outside enormous double doors. Neither man looked surprised to see Kai.One of them opened the doors immediately.Warm light spilled across the corridor.Walter lowered his voice.“The Chairman has been waiting for this moment for a very long time.”Kai’s chest tightened unexpectedly.Then he stepped inside.The ro

Kai barely slept.Every time he closed his eyes, another piece of yesterday returned. Serena walking away without looking back. His grandfather's trembling voice calling him Julian by mistake. The doctors promising they would do everything they could for his mother. Then Walter's final words before leaving him alone.By this time tomorrow, everyone who expected to inherit the Mercer Empire will be looking at you.Tomorrow had arrived.A soft knock broke the silence."Young Master?"Kai sat up slowly, still adjusting to the unfamiliar room. The bed was softer than any mattress he had ever slept on, yet his body felt stiff from a night spent thinking instead of resting."Come in."A middle-aged valet entered carrying a neatly folded suit over one arm."Good morning, sir. Breakfast has been prepared."Kai glanced toward the window. Morning sunlight stretched across the gardens below, making the fountains sparkle as though yesterday's rain had never fallen.He hesitated before asking, "Ca

The doors swung open.Kai stepped inside.The room was enormous.A long table stretched across the center, polished to a mirror shine beneath a crystal chandelier. Sunlight poured through tall windows overlooking the gardens, but Kai barely noticed the view.He noticed the people.Twelve of them.Men and women in tailored suits, expensive dresses, and sharp expressions. Some looked surprised. Others looked curious. A few looked openly hostile.They studied him like a new investment.Or a threat.Kai kept his face calm, even though his heart pounded against his ribs.At the head of the table sat Chairman Alistair Mercer.The old man looked pale, but his eyes were sharp and focused.Beside him sat Damien.Kai had expected to see him there.But several other faces were unfamiliar, yet the moment his eyes met theirs, he felt something cold settle in his chest.These were the board members Walter had warned him about.The people who had controlled the Mercer Empire while waiting for the Ch

Kai woke before dawn.The mansion was still dark. No servants moved in the corridors. No footsteps echoed from the floors above. For a brief moment, the silence felt peaceful...like the calm before a storm he couldn't yet see.He sat up in bed and reached for the notebook his grandfather had given him.The list.He opened it again, studying the names in the pale morning light filtering through the curtains. Each entry had been written in the Chairman's shaky hand. Some had brief notes beside them: "Vulnerable to flattery." "Owes favors to Victor." "Loyal to the old ways."Kai traced his finger down the page until he stopped at one name near the bottom.Margaret Whitmore. Speaks carefully. Listens more. Knows something she hasn't shared.He closed the notebook.Walter had told him that the board would pressure him privately. Victor had already shown his hand during breakfast. But Margaret had been quieter, more careful...the kind of person who watched without committing.The most dange