"Adrian, are you all right?" Brandon Vale's anguished cry rang out as he broke into a run. When he reached his son, his stomach twisted. Bruises mottled Adrian's face and arms, dark purple blooms against pale skin. The young man's eyes held a wild, unfocused quality that spoke of something broken inside.The others who had come with Brandon looked equally grim, their expressions tight with suppressed anger and worry.Heavy footsteps announced the arrival of Rufus Cole, the casino boss. A small army of enforcers flanked him, each one built like a brick wall and radiating menace. Their presence filled the corridor, transforming it from a passageway into a cage.Recognition flickered across Adrian's battered face. He lunged toward his father with desperate, uncoordinated movements. "Dad, thank God you're here. Get me out. Please, I can't stay in this place another minute."Brandon wrapped his arms around his son, feeling the tremors running through the younger man's

Aaron Holmes sat in the chair behind the Marshal's desk, while the Marshal himself stood off to one side like a child awaiting reprimand. The posture was humble, almost servile."Marshal, I need you to look into the relationship between Stormgate Casino and the young master of the Waverly family. And everything that happened at Stormgate Casino tonight." Aaron's tone was even, but the weight behind it was unmistakable."Of course, of course. Lord Holmes, rest assured I'll have this matter investigated thoroughly by tomorrow morning." The Marshal's response came quickly, eager to please.Satisfied with the assurance, Aaron rose and left the Marshal's office. When he returned to the villa, exhaustion finally caught up with him, and he allowed himself to rest. In Haven, the Marshal's reach was absolute. If he wanted something uncovered, it would be. And better yet, no one would question why.Meanwhile, Serena Vale was at the company, hunched over ledgers and financi

Serena was currently negotiating loans with Skyhonor Group and Riverstone Corp. If she found out they were scheming against Aaron Holmes behind her back, the girl would never agree to it.Felix Vale looked troubled as he voiced his concern. "What if she decides to return the money once she finds out? That'll make things even harder for us.""Felix, that's easy to handle. We just won't tell her about this," Brandon Vale said dismissively. "Besides, who knows how long it'll take her to secure those loans? By then, our ancestral estate will already belong to someone else."He cared nothing for Serena's opinion. As long as he could protect his son, what did any of this matter?"That's right, Uncle! You have to save me this time. I can't let them beat me to death!" Adrian Vale pleaded desperately.Felix's resolve weakened. Deep down, he favored his own Vale family blood. No matter how worthless Adrian was, he remained the future heir. Perhaps in a few years, once

A scream tore through the air.Rufus let out a piercing wail that sent chills down the spine of anyone who might have heard it. The sound was raw, visceral, and utterly pathetic.Aaron Holmes recorded every second of it. He scrolled through Rufus' contact list, selected a few key names, and sent the audio file to each one. Then he pocketed the phone and walked away.At the top floor of the Whitfield Group headquarters, Julian Bancroft was reviewing the latest financial reports when his office door burst open. Miles Bancroft rushed in, his face flushed with excitement, waving his phone in the air like a victory flag."Big brother, great news!"Miles slammed the phone down on the desk, barely able to contain himself. "Big brother, this is incredible. Rufus just sent over a recording. It's nothing but screaming. Aaron Holmes must be half dead by now."He laughed, a harsh, satisfied sound. "God, that feels good."Julian picked up the phone and pressed

"Although, this works out even better. Now that you've had a child, you're even more tempting than before."Miles Bancroft licked his dry lips, his eyes gleaming with undisguised greed."What? The Bancroft family was the one who forced the Vale family to make me break up with Aaron?" Serena Vale felt shock ripple through her entire body. Her eyes widened with sudden realization. "No wonder Mother insisted I break up with Aaron back then. She said she'd found me a wonderful match, but after I ended things with him, nothing came of it. I thought she'd just lied to trick me into the breakup.""You really are too naive," Miles said with a cold laugh.Beyond the fury now coursing through her, Serena felt a deep, hollow sense of loss. If there was one thing she regretted most in her entire life, it was breaking up with Aaron during their university years. She had always believed her mother orchestrated everything. But today, the truth finally emerged. The Bancroft fami