Harlyn walked into the grand ballroom, her silk dress rustling softly against the marble floor. She paused near the entrance, holding a glass of champagne she had no intention of drinking.Her eyes swept across the crowded room, scanning the glittering chandeliers and tight circles of city leaders, but an uncomfortable knot stayed in her stomach. Every conversation seemed to be about the same thing: the harbor raid, the federal arrests, and the surge in Malx Holdings stock.Harlyn took a small sip of her drink, trying to hide the slight shake in her hand. Slayde Burgess had moved faster and hit harder than anyone could have predicted. She had spent years thinking she had the upper hand, but watching the morning news had shattered that belief. Slayde had taken down the Jerrycoil Syndicate's team, destroyed the Malta Group, and trapped Mateo De La Cruz in a federal investigation all in a single night.Harlyn stared into her glass, her thoughts swirling. Was the Syndicate really thi

A loud, sharp shout echoed across the quiet ballroom, instantly cutting off nearby conversations.Heads turned from every corner of the room. Board members, politicians, and reporters stopped talking, their eyes locking onto Harlyn’s pale, shaking face.Harlyn covered her mouth, her face burning red as she realized she had caused a scene in front of the city's elite. But she couldn't take her eyes off the young woman standing beside Slayde. If Slayde Burgess had truly aligned himself with the Riviera family, Harlyn and the De La Cruz family were already ruined.Whispers spread through the grand ballroom like wildfire."Did she just say Riviera?" a senior board member gasped, almost dropping his glass."The real Riviera family? They're actually here?" an oil tycoon murmured to his wife, his eyes lighting up with excitement.Within seconds, the icy tension surrounding Harlyn vanished, replaced by a wave of eager smiles and high-society intrigue. The crowd completely ignored Harlyn's

"Fuck your countdown!" Calder barked, reaching out to shove Slayde's shoulder.Before his thick fingers could touch cloth, Slayde’s hand shot out like a steel trap. He caught Calder by the wrist, squeezing hard enough to make the heavy man gasp for air.Calder’s eyes went wide as he tried to pull back, but Slayde did not budge. Slowly and deliberately, Slayde twisted Calder’s wrist downward. The glass in Calder’s hand shattered onto the floor, spraying champagne and sharp crystal fragments across the floor."Ah—let go!" Calder grunted, his face turning purple as he sank to his knees under Slayde's grip.The crowd gasped, and several board members backed away in fear.Slayde leaned down slightly, his voice a low, cold whisper right next to Calder's ear. "Your grandfather built the ports. Your father ran the construction firms. And tonight, you just handed all of it to me."Without turning his head, Slayde spoke toward the dark corner near the entrance. "Viktor."Viktor stepped out

"Watch your tongue, boy!" the guard growled, leaning over the table to glare at Slayde. "You are speaking to Mr. Mateo De La Cruz! Show some respect before we teach you how!"The threat hung heavy in the air, drawing nervous glances from nearby waiters.Slayde didn't flinch. His eyes stayed on Mateo, treating the guard's outburst as background noise."Hold your tongue," Mateo barked, raising a hand.The guard froze and snapped his mouth shut. He gritted his teeth, bowed his head, and stepped back into the shadows beside his partner.Mateo adjusted his dark suit jacket and rested his hands on the polished table. He stared straight into Slayde's cold eyes, his voice low despite the anger beneath his calm front."We are not here to pick a street fight, Burgess," Mateo said softly. "You may have bought off a few debt lines and scared my son, but you are sitting in a city my family built. Let's see if you can hold that attitude when we talk about real business.""No thanks," Slayde repl

The remaining guard squeezed his fingers around Raina’s wrist, swallowing hard as he backed against the railing. Sweat dripped down his nose, but he tried to use her as a human shield."Stay back, Burgess!" the guard yelled, his voice cracking. He looked at Mateo in desperation. "Boss! We can use the girl! If we hold her, he has to talk! He won't risk her!"Mateo’s eyes lit up with sudden hope. "Yes! Hold her right there!" Mateo shouted, pointing a shaking finger at Slayde. "You hear that, Burgess? You want your pretty little companion to leave here in one piece, you sit back down and sign the port agreement!"Slayde didn't slow his step. His eyes stayed locked on the guard’s hand with a cold promise.Before Slayde could take another step, Raina decided she was done being a pawn. She wasn't the weak, quiet girl her father used to push around. With a sharp gasp, she pulled back her left foot and stomped her designer heel straight down onto the guard’s shoe.The guard howled, his