Lord Edward stared at his phone, but the screen stayed dark. He tried to call the bank president again, but the call would not go through. He tried to call the head of the ports, but the line was busy. He was being cut off from the world. Alex stood by the window, his hands in his pockets. He didn't have to say anything. The silence in the room was louder than any shout. Suddenly, Edward’s second phone buzzed. It was his money manager. When Edward answered, he could hear the man breathing fast, sounding like he was about to cry. "Edward! It’s all over the news!" the manager screamed. "The port authority just put out a public statement. They canceled our license for the Rotterdam port. They are saying our ships aren't safe!" "They can’t do that!" Edward yelled back. "They haven't even checked the ships!" "It doesn't matter!" the manager cried. "The news stations like Sky News and the BBC are already reporting it. Everyone thinks our company is in trouble. Our stock price just dropp

The big hall in London was packed with reporters. Cameras were flashing everywhere, making the stage look bright white. Dozens of microphones from TV stations around the world were piled on the long wooden desk. Lord Edward walked onto the stage slowly. He did not use his silver cane today, but his legs were shaking. His face looked pale and tired under the hot studio lights. Chloe sat in the front row. She was squeezing her hands together in her lap. Silas had called her early that morning and told her she had to come to this event. Alex sat right next to her. He looked totally relaxed, like a tourist watching a show. "What is this about, Alex?" Chloe whispered. "Why did he invite us?" "Just listen," Alex said quietly. Lord Edward stood behind the microphones. He cleared his throat, and the sound echoed through the room. Suddenly, all the reporters stopped talking. "Thank you for coming," Edward began. His voice was not loud and strong like it usually was. He looked straig

Richard Miller’s office was completely quiet. On the wall, the TV screen kept showing Lord Edward’s public apology over and over. Every worker in the building had already seen it. No one dared to speak. Standing by the window, Richard’s face was pale. His grip tightened around his glass until a small crack spread across the glass. "Impossible..." he whispered. A nervous knock broke the silence. "Mr. Miller?" His secretary stepped inside. Her face was full of worry. "There are... people downstairs asking about Lord Edward. The board members want a meeting right now." Richard closed his eyes, forcing his voice to stay calm. "Tell them I have nothing to say. Tell them I am busy." "Yes, sir." She hurried out, shutting the door behind her. As the office fell quiet again, Richard sat down heavily in his chair. His greatest partner, a giant in the shipping world, had been destroyed in just two days. Someone had done this—someone far stronger than Lord Edward. Richard’s eyes narrowed as

Richard Miller stood at the head of the long conference room table. He held a thick stack of papers in his hands. His face was pale, and sweat glistened on his forehead, but he tried his best to look confident. Around the table sat the senior board members of Miller Tech. They all looked tired, worried, and confused. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice," Richard said, his voice loud in the quiet room. "As you know, our company has just gone through a massive storm in London. Chloe is still on a plane returning home. But the stress of these past few days has been too much for her." He placed the stack of papers in front of the board's chief legal advisor, a stern man named Mr. Vance. "These are official documents signed by Chloe Miller herself," Richard lied smoothly. "Because of high stress and personal exhaustion, she has decided to step down as CEO. She has transferred all her voting rights and executive power to me, effective immediately. I am taking over to protect Mi

"They can help us take down Alex and Chloe, Father. They'll help us reclaim everything that was stolen from us. We will return to the Miller Villa, and you will step back into Miller Tech—not just taking your old position, but taking Chloe's once they're out of the picture." Richard stared at the small black card in Jason’s hand. The silver eye wrapped in a shadow seemed to catch the light from the window, gleaming with a dark, dangerous promise. For a long moment, the only sound in the grand villa was the tick of the wall clock. "The Shadow Syndicate?" Richard asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He looked at his son, his brow furrowed with a mixture of fear and greed. "Jason, I have heard whispers about them in high-level business circles. They aren't just men you can hire like that. They are a global network. They pull the strings of whole markets and eliminate people who get in their way. Calling them is not like hiring street thugs. Once you open that door, there is no going