"He was wearing a big green uniform," Zoe said, her eyes wide and serious. "Like a soldier! And there was a bad guy who wanted to touch you. But Daddy jumped in and beat him up! It was super cool!"Sarah couldn't hold it back. A bright, genuine laugh escaped her lips. The sound filled the office, chasing away the gloom of the morning.She looked across the room at Luke. He was leaning against the edge of the desk in his tailored navy suit, looking nothing like a soldier. To Sarah, the idea was funny. Her husband was a brave man, but picturing him as a military hero barking orders in uniform was a huge contrast to the quiet ex-convict she knew."A green uniform, huh?" Sarah teased, wiping a tear from her eye. "Did he have medals too?""Lots of them!" Zoe nodded enthusiastically.Luke chuckled. He crossed his arms and offered a faint, amused smile, keeping up his cover perfectly."I guess I have a hidden talent," Luke said playfully.If they only knew, he thought. The irony was almost t

"General Thunder," the assistant said.Julian's brow furrowed. The name made no sense to him. His rising anger turned to doubt."Thunder?" Julian asked, his voice sharp. "That's impossible. Arthur Vance and the General were sworn brothers. They ran this city together.""Their friendship fell apart," the assistant explained calmly. "At a wedding earlier this week, General Thunder personally broke Victor Vance's knees. He crippled Arthur's only son."Julian went completely still. He let the news sink in. It was a huge insult. A betrayal of blood."Arthur wanted revenge," Julian said, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "He hired my men to kill the General.""Yes, sir."Julian paced toward the tall glass windows. The dark lake water reflected his cold, calculating face."Thunder knew the attack was coming," Julian said, putting the pieces together. "He stopped my team. He killed them. And then he sent his own unit to the Vance estate to wipe them out. One man couldn't have broken through

The Dragon Emperor Villa was completely silent.The frantic energy of the Friday launch had finally faded. Outside, the night sky over Zenith Mountain was pitch black. Inside, the large house was still.Sarah sat alone in her private study. A single brass lamp cast a warm, golden circle of light across the polished wood.She reached forward and pulled the battered cardboard box closer.She had barely gotten it out of the Quinn Estate before the bank locked the gates forever. It was just a cheap, dusty box, but it held the only pieces of her mother she had left.Sarah carefully lifted the folded flaps. A faint smell of dry dust and old paper drifted up.She reached inside. Her fingers brushed against a faded lanyard. She pulled it into the light. Attached to the frayed blue fabric was a cracked ID badge from Zenith General Hospital.A young, bright-eyed woman smiled back at her from the photo.Dr. Evelyn Quinn.Sarah traced her thumb over her mother's name. She swallowed the lump in he

Luke let go of Julian's hand.Neither man rubbed his fingers. Neither man winced or broke eye contact. The polite, high-society smiles stayed perfectly on their faces.But the air between them was freezing."Congratulations on the purchase, Julian," Sarah said coolly, completely unaware of the silent war that had just started over a handshake.Julian turned his attention back to her. His warm smile returned instantly."It's a huge facility, Sarah," Julian offered. "Too big for just my company. If Zenith Beauty needs lab space, I'd be happy to work out a deal. For old times' sake."It wasn't a friendly offer. It was a way to control her.Sarah didn't hesitate. "Zenith Beauty finds its own facilities. But thank you."She turned and walked down the carpeted stairs. Luke followed right behind her, not giving Julian another glance.Julian watched them leave, his polite smile slowly melting into a hard, calculating stare.---Ten minutes later, Luke steered the Bentley away from the Zenith

The Bentley cruised smoothly down the Zenith City expressway.The sun had just dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in deep streaks of purple and orange. Streetlights flickered on, casting long shadows across the asphalt.Sarah let her head rest against the soft leather seat. She let out a long, quiet breath.It had been a long Saturday, but getting the foreclosed Quinn lab meant Zenith Beauty's production could finally grow.She closed her eyes, letting the exhaustion wash over her."We can move the research team in on Monday," Sarah murmured, her eyes half-closed. "The lab is fully ready. We just need to hire new security."Luke kept his hands resting lightly on the steering wheel."I'll handle the security contracts," Luke replied easily. "You just focus on the product launch."Sarah smiled, turning her head to look at him. She was about to say something else when a loud roar cut through the quiet cabin.Three heavy, black vans blew straight through a red light at the upcomin