Ryan stepped into the expanse of Selene's lobby. Apart from the chandeliers, which he was sure had recently been changed, the atmosphere felt different. The reception desk was staffed by a new woman, nervous, watching him with wide eyes. When he caught her gaze, her head instantly dropped to her screen while her hands trembled as she pretended to type.From her expression Ryan could tell she knows what happened to the last receptionist.A cold satisfaction curled in his chest. He didn't smile or acknowledge her but rather walked past but not far enough not to hear the breath she was holding.“Is that him?” Ryan overheard a female whisper; the curiosity in her voice was loud.“Don’t stare at him; he might get you thrown out,” another voice replied. The fear lacing his tone gave Ryan a hint he must have witnessed the scene from yesterday.Giving into his curiosity, he narrowed his gaze to their direction. Ryan furrowed his brow when he noticed it was the same man who had confronted him

The Selene’s private garage sat two floors below the lobby. Ryan followed Marcus into the elevator going down, and neither of them spoke to each other. They stood in the cold silence of the elevator, and anybody could agree the silence was awkward.The elevator doors opened onto a wide space. The lights shined ahead, flickering off and on at the end of the garage. Cars sat in neat rows, with Porsches, Ferraris, and a Bentley that looked like it hadn’t moved in months; its dust almost became a part of. Ryan’s each step echoed, but Marcus's didn’t. The man moved like he was made of smoke, hanging half a step behind Ryan’s right shoulder.‘He’s checking my blind spot, already working the job as a professional,' Ryan thought when he noticed Marcus's eyes wandering ahead.They stopped at a black Mercedes S-Class, the kind of car that costs more than a house in some poorer neighborhoods. “This is yours?” Ryan asked, although he already knew the answer from Harrison.“Harrison’s,” Marcus c

Ryan didn't need anyone to tell him. He could see the features of their father on her face: their father's jaw, eyes, and the same rich hair lingering at her back. She was his blood.Ryan adjusted his gaze to the two men. The older one, in his sixties, with silver hair and a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. The other younger man beside him was built like someone who spent too much time in a gym and little in an office.‘So that's Nikolai Volkov,’ Ryan thought. He had seen his picture in Harrison's files. The uncle and the family representative that was considered the string puller.If he were here himself, then the Will must be really important in whatever plans they have.Ryan averted his gaze back to the younger one, but his memory could place him in the pictures from the files, making him unknown."What do we have here?" Finally Ryan's eyes landed on Zhoula, who sat at the far end of the table, right next to Christopher. Her face was pale, like she'd seen a ghost, and her h

“Is it?” Ryan's voice was softer than before. “Then why are you crying?”She touched her face feeling the wetness on her cheeks. “That’s because for a second I thought the outcome would be different, that my father would make me the heir,” she whispered.Ryan was quiet, but when he was about to mutter something, Katrina's words beat him to it. “I hate him!”“I know,” he replied.“I hate him too,” she added.“I know that too,” “Then why are you being nice to me? What are you hoping to archive?” she asked, suspicion crawling into her voice, masking her face.“Because you're my sister, and we have the same enemy,” Ryan stated.“Same enemy?!" A bitter sound broke out of her mouth. “Are you referring to the Volkovs? They are my family, they raised me, and they are not my enemies.”“You don’t understand, Katrina; you are a weapon, a pawn, and a bargaining chip to them,” Ryan's voice was soft. “They never loved you. They used you just like Zoula used me.”Katerina's eyes shifted across the

Marcus stood up. “Someone in your father's organization tried to kill you.”Harrison's sigh. “I swear to you I didn't know I would have done something if I did.”“I believe you,” Ryan's voice came out low. “But someone did, and I'm going to find out who and then make sure they regret it.”The two figures nodded their heads in response.“Where do we start?” he asked.Marcus's gaze shifted to Harrison. “With him.”Harrison's eyes went wide. “Me?! You think I—”“I don't think anything." Marcus narrowed his gaze at him. “But you are the one who is familiar with the company and his father, so there is that.”Harrison stood up. “I've been loyal to Thomas Wright for thirty years! I would never ever do something like that!”“Then prove it,” Marcus said, directing his gaze to Ryan. “I know you want to trust him, but to clear up this mess, you need a reason.”The room went quiet, with everyone bundled in thoughts.Harrison looked at Ryan and at the coldness that was creeping into his eyes. Ryan