"How does it feel to be completely cast out of the core family circle, living like a broke beggar in a dirty university dormitory while the rest of us manage the high-society sectors? Did you come back today just to beg Grandfather for a monthly allowance? Let me tell you right now, you're wasting your breath. Useless fellows who disgrace our name don't deserve a single crumb of this estate." Lorenzo’s brow furrowed in a deep, dangerous anger, but before he could even utter a syllable, Eduardo slammed his hand against the side table, his face turning an unearthly, mottled shade of crimson as he pointed a shaking finger at Thomas. "Shut your arrogant mouth, Thomas! How dare you speak to your brother with such filth in my presence! Your father has spent thirty years bleeding this family’s accounts dry, and you have the absolute audacity to—" Suddenly, the old man’s breath hitched violently. He clutched his chest, his face draining of all color as a sharp, agonizing gasp escaped his

"Start trouble on my personal turf?" Roxana hissed, a sudden, blinding surge of pure, defensive fury drowning out any remaining caution in her mind. She had spent three brutal years watching her stepmother bleed this company dry from the inside, and she was absolutely damned if she was going to let external thugs destroy what was left of her sanctuary. Without listening to another syllable of Tessa's frantic warnings, Roxana turned sharply on her heel, marching directly toward the executive express lift. Tessa, weeping softly out of sheer, blind loyalty, couldn't bear to leave her superior alone and quickly hurried right behind her. The elevator doors opened onto the top floor, and the moment Roxana stepped into her private office suite, her breath caught violently in her throat. The room had been completely desecrated. Her research plaques had been torn from the plaster walls, and sitting directly in the center of her massive executive chair was a large, imposing man whose very p

Justin let out a loud, mocking sneer, a wave of deep, cowardly satisfaction washing over his bruised face as he navigated the traffic. "It’s magnificent news, babe! That’s exactly what she gets for overestimating her worth and insisting on competing with the Hawthorne Conglomerate for that master contract. She actually thought that poor kid Lorenzo could protect her forever. She forgot that in Oakhaven, the Sterling family owns the night." Chloe smoothed down her designer gown, her face twisting into a sharp, venomous expression. "I know Jonathan Sterling well; father and son are cut from the exact same disgusting cloth. Barry likes to play with young girls, and his father likes to play with married women, and they always, always play with their merchandise until the victim completely stops breathing. The more extreme the torture, the better they like it. Roxana Vance will be a literal corpse before the markets close tonight." Justin’s eyes glinted with a sudden, vicious idea, a nas

The heavy iron gates of the Sterling compound didn't just close with a soft click; they sealed shut with the sound of hydraulic locks, cutting off the faint, distant sound of the Oakhaven commercial district.The air inside the cavernous, concrete-reinforced living room was thick, smelling faintly of stale imported tobacco, spilled liquor, and the cold, damp scent of subterranean dust.Roxana Vance was forcefully thrown down onto the far edge of a low leather sofa, her knuckles white, her fingernails biting so deeply into her palms that she could feel the skin stretching to the point of tearing.Her sharp, analytical mind—usually capable of dissecting the most complex software architecture in minutes—was firing in a blind, unfiltered panic.Beside her, Tessa was unravelling completely.The young assistant clutched Roxana’s navy blue suit sleeve like a drowning child, her shoulders shaking with violent, ragged sobs that echoed hollowly against the high ceiling.Standing near the edge o

Roxana didn't stir. Her eyes held his with a fierce, unyielding hatred.Jonathan’s patience completely shattered. He abruptly stood up, his massive frame moving with a sudden, violent velocity that defied his age.He took three long, heavy strides across the concrete floor, entirely bypassing the silver knife in Roxana's hand, and lunged directly toward the corner where Tessa was cowering.Before Roxana could even swing the blade to defend her, Jonathan reached down, yanked Tessa up by her dark hair, and delivered a brutal, heavy slap across her face that sent the young secretary crashing violently against the concrete baseboard.Tessa let out a loud, agonized shriek of pure pain, clutching her swelling, bruised cheek as fresh tears blinded her eyes."Put the knife down and walk over here right now!" Jonathan roared, his voice booming like thunder through the quiet room as he drew a heavy, matte-black iron pistol from his waistband, pointing the cold muzzle directly at Tessa’s forehea