The sound of the helicopter rotors slowly faded, leaving the roof of the old building in the Bronx far behind.Xavier stepped inside the underground headquarters of Umbra Capital. He had already discarded his tactical bodyguard gear. He was back in his impeccably tailored black suit. His upright posture radiated an aristocratic aura that was incredibly lethal.Fenrir stood by the steel elevator doors to greet him."Welcome back, Sir," Fenrir greeted with a respectful bow. "Did Audrey Vance's evacuation operation proceed smoothly?""The girl is already safely in the air," Xavier answered, walking toward the main desk. "Has her private jet cleared radar boundaries?""It has, Boss," Lyra replied from behind her computer desk. The female hacker's fingers flew rapidly across the keyboard. "Miss Audrey's plane has just entered international airspace. She is on her way to Switzerland. Not a single federal agent detected her forged identity.""Excellent," Xavier stated flatly. "We are officia

The booming electronic music violently shook the walls of the Elysium nightclub. Multicolored strobe lights swept across the exclusive VIP area. The heavy smoke from cigarettes intertwined with the pungent aroma of expensive alcohol.Leo slouched back arrogantly against the red velvet sofa. The young man wore a garishly patterned silk shirt. The top three buttons were intentionally left undone to show off his thick gold chain.Three scantily clad women sat surrounding him. They giggled flirtatiously, desperately vying for the young master's attention."Drink up!" Leo yelled over the deafening music. He poured champagne that cost tens of thousands of dollars into their glasses until it overflowed. "I am paying for everything tonight! My money won't run out for seven generations!""You seem incredibly happy tonight, Leo," one of the blonde women flirted. She stroked his chest with a seductive gaze."Of course I am!" Leo boasted, his voice hoarse from alcohol. "Do you know why? I am the

The underground headquarters of Umbra Capital fell incredibly silent that night. All the main lights had been intentionally turned off. There was only the dim glow from Lyra's monitor screens.Xavier sat cross-legged in the center of the concrete floor. His eyes were squeezed tightly shut. The crown-shaped seal on his wrist glowed a brilliant blue."You are pushing the limits of your body, Boss," Lyra warned from her desk. Her tone was laced with deep anxiety. "Isabella's mystical barrier is incredibly thick. This shadow projection will damage your brain's neural pathways.""I have to see her tonight," Xavier answered without opening his eyes. His tone sounded absolute. "Both of you, remain quiet."Fenrir stood frozen in the corner of the room. "Endure the pain, Sir. Do not let this energy detonate inside the headquarters again."Xavier did not answer the warning. He focused the entirety of his demonic power into a single point. He separated a small fraction of his consciousness from

An extreme, freezing chill froze the air within the underground corridor.Leo turned his body incredibly stiffly. His eyes bulged in pure horror. His mouth hung open, but absolutely no sound came out. His panic-stricken brain completely forgot about the pistol tucked in his back pocket.At the dead end of the dark corridor, pitch-black mist gathered into a single mass. The fog molded into the silhouette of a tall man in a long overcoat. Two brilliantly bright blue eyes ignited, piercing through the darkness. Those eyes stared at Leo exactly like a predator locking onto a mole."Who the hell is there?!" Leo screamed, his voice trembling violently. He took several steps back until his spine hit the steel door of Livia's bunker.The shadow possessed no solid physical form. Yet its sheer presence caused every neon light in the corridor to flicker erratically."Your punishment is not over yet, Leo," an incredibly elegant, low male voice whispered.The voice did not travel through the air.

Leo thrashed wildly against the marble floor of the main lobby.Two massive security guards struggled to pin his arms down. But the man fought back like someone possessed. He kicked a highly expensive ceramic flower pot until it shattered to pieces. Dirt and plants scattered, ruining the pristine floor."Let me go, you bastards!" Leo roared with a hoarse voice. He spat directly into one of the guards' faces. "I said let me go! We are all going to die tonight!""Hold him down tight!" the guard commander ordered. "Young Master Leo is hallucinating!""I am not hallucinating, you idiot!" Leo shrieked, crying hysterically. His pants were still soaked with his own urine. "I saw him with my own two eyes! That devil is down in the basement!"The absolute chaos woke almost every single resident of the Aristhos Estate. Several maids stood trembling in the corners of the room. They whispered to each other in terror, witnessing the incredibly pathetic state of their young master.The sound of ver