Derek was desperately clinging to his only remaining source of psychological leverage even as his body language betrayed his profound terror."Because you absolutely need to understand and remember that if you lay your hands on me—if you dare to actually attack or harm someone from my family whose connections and resources extend throughout the highest levels of political and economic power—then my family are definitely going to crush you completely and utterly," Derek continued, his words tumbling out in an increasingly desperate rush as he tried to use threats about future consequences to protect himself from immediate violence. "My family are going to destroy you and everything you care about—my family are going to employ all their vast resources and all their political connections and all their capacity for legal and illegal retaliation to do all kinds of devastating things toward you and everyone associated with you."Derek's voice rose as he articulated increasingly extreme thre

At the antique market, Serena’s steps slowed almost without her realizing it.Among trays of dull trinkets, carved pendants, cracked bowls, and dust-covered ornaments, one small piece caught her eye—a white jade bracelet resting quietly on a square of faded velvet. It was not especially valuable in material, at least not by the standards she had grown up around, but the craftsmanship was delicate and unexpectedly beautiful. The curve was smooth, the polish was soft, and there was a quiet grace to it that made it stand out from everything else on the stall.For a brief moment, Serena actually wanted it.Then reality caught up with her.Her assistant was nowhere nearby, and the black card she would normally use without even thinking had already been handed over to Nathan.She turned her head and looked toward him.Nathan was standing a short distance away at another stall, calmly negotiating with an elderly vendor over several old items laid out on a cloth. His expression was focused, hi

Assistant Quinn kept his expression firm, but there was tension behind it now.“On top of everything else,” he said, “Nathan’s reputation is already in ruins. Whether he was actually framed or not doesn’t matter to the public. Rumors are what people believe, and right now those rumors are everywhere. If we bring him into one of our public projects, it could damage the reputation of the Darlington family.”Serena slowly lifted her eyes from the document in front of her and gave him a cold, measured look.“Is our family really so fragile that we need to worry about what other people think?” she asked. “Since when?”Assistant Quinn’s throat tightened, but he said nothing.Serena set the file down with quiet precision.“You’ve been talking too much lately,” she said. “A good assistant should know when to speak and when to understand. Judgment should come before opinion. If you can’t manage that, then maybe you’re no longer suitable for this position.”“Miss Serena—” Quinn said immediately,

Nathan knew the truth the instant Bruno’s punch came at him.He couldn’t fully stop it.Not at his current level.But Serena was directly behind him, and that meant retreat was not an option. If he dodged, she would be exposed. So even knowing the gap between them was still too large, Nathan planted his feet and raised both arms to take the blow head-on.The impact was brutal.Bruno’s fist crashed into Nathan’s crossed forearms with a heavy, sickening force that made the whole restaurant seem to flinch.Nathan’s teeth clenched.His body shook, but he refused to give ground.Pain exploded through both arms instantly. It was sharp, deep, and ugly—the kind of pain that told him he had already crossed the line between strain and injury. Tiny fractures spread through the bones in his forearms, and swelling began almost immediately. By the time the force dispersed, he could barely feel his hands properly.A grim realization passed through him.The difference in their strength was still too w

When Nathan opened the door, he found Assistant Quinn standing outside with several household staff members behind him. They carried baskets and insulated containers, and the rich aroma spilling from them made it obvious that the delivery wasn’t casual. This was a carefully prepared meal.“So it’s you,” Nathan said. “What do you need?”He kept his tone polite, if only because Quinn represented Serena.Quinn, however, looked at him with barely concealed contempt, as though he were some uninvited pest rather than a guest under the same roof.“Miss Serena had this meal sent over for you,” Quinn said coldly.Nathan stepped aside. “Bring it in.”He had no reason to reject Serena’s kindness.When the staff set everything down, Nathan nodded once. “Thank her for me. I’ll pay for it.”Quinn actually laughed.“Pay for it? Do you have any idea what this meal costs?” He gestured toward the dishes with theatrical disdain. “A private chef prepared this with top-tier ingredients. A meal like this co