"Your subordinate?" Sarah repeated, her fingers digging into the strap of her bag.She stared at Luke in the bright foyer, the air frozen in her lungs."General Thunder commands the entire city garrison," Sarah said, her voice rising in the quiet hall. "He answers to the regional ministry, not to an ex-convict."Luke didn't move away from the door. He kept his hands in his pockets, watching her face with calm patience."Think back to the hotel, Sarah," Luke said quietly.The memory hit her with sudden force.She remembered the wedding hall, the broken doors, and Thunder marching down the aisle with armed troops. The three-star general had slapped his own nephew across the face, dragged Luke into an armored vehicle under the guise of an arrest, and released him five minutes later with warm food.She remembered the Jade Pavilion, where Thunder covered a five-million-dollar private bill while claiming he was apologizing for a mistaken identity.The excuses collapsed in her mind. The trut

The broken porcelain bits dug into the soles of her shoes as hot tea soaked her stockings.White Shadow had taken her mother's life two years ago in a Capital hotel lobby, putting a bullet through an innocent front desk clerk just to eliminate every witness at the scene.She stared down at the wet floor tiles, her hands shaking so violently she had to press them against her knees to keep from trembling.Lord Morris lowered his mobile phone, his boots crunching on the ceramic shards as he turned around from the tall dining room window."What's wrong with you?" Morris asked, his brow pulling down into a hard scowl."The cup slipped out of my fingers," she whispered, crouching down to gather the sharp pieces from the floorboards. "I'll pick it up.""Leave the trash on the floor," Morris ordered, grabbing her shoulder and pulling her back onto her feet with a firm grip.He turned toward the corridor archway and shouted for the household staff."Get a cleaner in here right now," Morris bar

"Authorize the transfer right now," Lord Morris said.The assistant's fingers hovered over the screen, her eyes wide with hesitation."Lord Morris, that's one hundred million dollars upfront," she stammered, looking up from the tablet. "The original debt was only eighty million. We're spending more cash than we lost just to kill one man.""Shut your mouth," Morris snapped, leaning forward until his knuckles dug into the desk."Not everything is about balance sheets," Morris growled, his eyes narrowing. "This is about my name. If a street rat in Zenith City breaks my enforcers without paying a price, every rival family in the Capital will walk over us."He tapped the glass screen with his thumb. "This hit sends a clear message to anyone who thinks about crossing Black Diamond Holdings. Wire the funds to Venom immediately.""Yes, sir," the assistant whispered.She entered the security passcodes, tapped the confirmation prompt, and watched the digital funds drain from the offshore escrow

Kaia dropped to one knee beside Morris's heavy frame.She reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his black mobile phone.The screen was dark. She grabbed his limp right hand, pressing his thick thumb firmly against the glass sensor at the bottom of the display.The lock screen clicked open instantly.Kaia opened his banking application with a quick tap. She navigated straight to the international wire menu, entering the routing numbers Godeye had provided during their call.The digital keypad registered the digits in rapid sequence as she routed the transaction through two offshore banks.She typed one hundred million into the transfer box without hesitating.A green prompt requested authorization. She grabbed Morris's thumb again, pushing his skin against the sensor until the circular progress ring completed.The application processed the request for two seconds before the screen flashed yellow.A fresh warning box popped up in the center of the display: Secondary Biometric Ch

Jenny's palm remained pressed flat against the wall, her arm cutting off the stairs.The designer luggage looked packed for a long trip, completely out of place on the private second floor.The head guard shifted his boots on the runner rug, looking at the travel bag in Kaia's grip."Where are you taking those bags, Lady Isabella?" the guard asked, his brow pulling down. "Lord Morris didn't mention anything about travel plans this morning."Kaia didn't shift her stance. "That's none of your business."Jenny let out a harsh laugh, stepping closer along the hallway."Everything that happens inside this house is my business," Jenny snapped. "You arrived yesterday morning, and now you're trying to sneak out the front door."Kaia kept her hands at her sides, her face blank."Where's my brother?" Jenny demanded, leaning into her space. "Why hasn't he stepped out of that room?"Kaia didn't answer."I asked you a question," Jenny said, her voice rising in the empty corridor. "Where is he?""G