"Stop making excuses for her, Slayde," Raina said firmly, her tone cutting through his quiet mood. "She is the exact same person. She didn't turn into a monster overnight. She just stopped pretending the moment she thought you had nothing left to offer her."Slayde stayed silent, taking in her words."She only loved the version of you that served her," Raina added, her voice softening just a bit, though her eyes stayed intense. "The moment you stopped playing the weak, obedient husband, her real self came out. Don't give her credit by calling her a different person. She was always this bitter and self-centered. You just finally opened your eyes.""That's enough, Raina," Slayde said, his voice dropping into a cold tone that filled the car. He turned toward her, his dark eyes empty of warmth. "You don't know everything about my past. And for all I know, you might be no different from her."The words hung heavy in the quiet sedan.Raina went completely silent. The sharp reply on her t

"Make sure they don't fail this time," Harlyn spat, her voice laced with venom as she gripped the phone tighter. "I want him brought down. I want him on his knees begging for mercy!""Save your whining for later," the voice snapped back cold. "Just make sure Dominic keeps his mouth shut about who hired those men tonight. If Viktor or Delyas's security tracks those thugs back to my organization, you and Dominic will be the first ones I throw to the wolves."The line went dead.Harlyn stared at her phone, her chest heaving as a cold chill ran down her spine. She threw the phone onto the velvet sofa, her hands shaking with a mix of fury and growing panic. Across the room, Dominic sat in an armchair with a thick ice pack wrapped tightly around his swollen, bandaged wrist, groaning every time he shifted."Did... did he say he's sending more men?" Dominic asked nervously, his face pale. "Harlyn, maybe we should back off for a bit. Slayde isn't the same guy anymore. You saw what happened t

"How is this possible?!" Harlyn screamed, backing away as if the screen were on fire. "I didn't sign anything! I own thirty percent of those shares, and my father controls another twenty! I haven't signed a single share transfer document! Without my signature, ownership cannot change! Tell him, Mr. Sterry! Tell him it's impossible!"Mr. Sterry frowned, his eyes moving from the screen back to Harlyn.The other board members began whispering to each other, looking confused and doubtful."Is this true, Harlyn?" Mr. Sterry asked sharply. "Did you and your father own those shares directly? If your family signed no transfer papers, these documents cannot be real!""Yes! It's true! We never signed anything!" Harlyn yelled, her chest moving fast as she pointed a shaking finger at Slayde. "He's lying! He made up these documents! Without my signature, he can't touch my family's power!"Slayde did not look bothered at all.He slowly tapped the arm of his chair, a faint smile on his face."You're

With Pendleton’s signature on the document, the rest of the board members quickly followed suit, their hands trembling as they wrote their names on the lines.Every single man in the room had a dozen burning questions. They wanted to ask about Slayde’s real background, how he managed to find Pendleton’s secret offshore accounts in a single night, and what other deep secrets he was holding over their heads.Yet, as they looked up at Slayde’s stone-cold face, no one dared to speak a word. The silence in the boardroom was total. They had all realized that this was not a man you questioned; he was a storm you simply survived.Slayde stood up, buttoning his jacket smoothly."Viktor will handle the press release," Slayde said softly, taking his leather gloves from the table. "I expect full cooperation from every single department by tomorrow morning."Without waiting for an answer, Slayde turned and walked out of the boardroom, his heavy footsteps fading down the marble hallway.Meanwhil

The loud gunshots instantly tore through the quiet restaurant outside.Panicked screams filled the dining room as plates smashed, glasses broke, and wooden chairs flipped over. Diners ran wildly toward the front doors, tripping over each other in fear as women screamed and men ducked under tables."Gunfire! Someone has a gun in the back!" a young man yelled, his voice cracking as he pulled his girlfriend toward the main exit."Get down! Everyone get down!" the restaurant manager screamed, diving behind the wooden host stand. His hands shook as he pulled out his phone, pressing the emergency numbers fast."Emergency line? Send the police now!" the manager gasped into the phone, his eyes wide with fear as he looked down the dark hallway toward the restrooms. "We have an active shooter at the downtown restaurant! Hurry, please!"Outside the building, people on the sidewalk stopped in horror before running away, scared that an attacker might burst through the glass doors.Inside the res