The massive grey boulder sat firmly between Ethan Vance and the dark tunnel where Arthur Pendelton had fled. Thick dust filled the underground cave, making the air hot, heavy, and hard to breathe. Small rocks and sharp gravel kept falling from the ceiling, splashing into the river water like a shower of sharp stones. The deep grinding sound of the mountain echoed through the dark chamber, warning that the whole cave network was about to fall completely.Ethan stood in front of the giant stone wall, his broad chest rising and falling in deep, heavy breaths. Dust covered his hair, and his ruined white shirt was damp with cold river water. He raised his broad right fist, punching the rough surface of the boulder with raw frustration.THUMP!The heavy rock did not move a single millimeter. Ethan knew he could not waste precious time trying to claw his way through thousands of pounds of solid stone. The mountain was settling fast, and staying inside this dark cavern meant getting buried a

The massive glass boardroom on the top floor of the Pendelton Banking Tower was in absolute chaos. Red lights flashed on the large wall screens, showing long lines of plummeting stock numbers dropping like heavy stones. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the bright noon sun shone brightly over the capital city, but inside the room, the air felt freezing cold and thick with total panic.Arthur Pendelton stood right at the edge of his long mahogany conference table, his gloved hand gripping his silver walking cane so hard his knuckles turned white. His fine grey coat was thrown over a chair, and his face was pale, wet with cold sweat. His bruised shoulder from the cave blast still ached with a sharp, burning pain, but he could not feel it right now. All he could see were the bloody red numbers on the TV screen."Stop the trading!" Arthur screamed, his voice cracking with pure rage as he slammed his heavy silver cane against the polished floorboards. "Call the stock exchange chairma

Arthur Pendelton stood shaking beside his ruined desk, his old eyes wide with pure horror. He stared at Ethan Vance, who sat calmly at the very head of the long mahogany conference table. Ethan looked like a true king taking over his rightful throne. The five board members stood quietly along the wall, hiding their faces in shame, while the federal banking officers stood guard around the room.Arthur could not accept this sudden defeat. He had controlled the city for forty long years. He had controlled the banks, the courts, and the streets. He was not going to let a twenty year old boy strip away his power in a single afternoon.With a wild, desperate scream, Arthur reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his small silver private phone. His thumb tapped a red speed dial button to call the chief of his private security force.Arthur held the phone tightly against his ear, his voice high and shrill as he yelled into the speaker. "Gordon! Bring the tactical security squad up to the

The grand boardroom fell into a tense, sudden quiet as Arthur Pendelton hit the floor with a heavy thud. His body lay curled on the dark carpet, his hands clutching his chest while his throat made thin, painful gasping sounds. The sharp shock of losing his total fortune and facing a lifetime behind iron bars had completely broken his old heart.Ethan Vance stood tall at the head of the table, watching the fallen tycoon with a hard, unreadable expression. He did not show any joy, nor did he show any anger. Justice was simply taking its natural course."Call the medical unit immediately," the chief federal officer commanded, pulling a small radio from his belt. "Keep two armed guards right beside him in the ambulance. He stays under total police arrest."Within three minutes, four paramedics in bright yellow jackets rushed into the high boardroom with a rolling stretcher. They quickly placed an oxygen mask over Arthur's pale face and strapped his shaking body down onto the bed. The fed

The cold wind blew across the open stone plaza, carrying Ethan Vance’s heavy words into the quiet air. The reporters stood completely silent, holding their long black microphones close as they watched the drama unfold. Camera flashes flickered softly, capturing the pale, terrified faces of Beatrice and Chloe Vance.Beatrice froze on the curb, her thin body trembling violently inside her dirty secondhand coat. Her eyes bulged with pure, unbelievable horror as she stared at the official legal paper in Cynthia Thorne's hands."No," Beatrice whimpered, her raspy voice dropping into a weak, shaking whisper. "No, that is impossible! You are lying! You made that paper up to scare us!""The High Criminal Court does not lie, Beatrice," Cynthia said smoothly, her voice cold and sharp as a polished silver blade. "We submitted the original voice recordings from your private phone calls with Silas. We submitted the signed bank slips showing how you paid dirty money to frame Ethan for arson three