Foreign mercenaries surround the building, only to find themselves completely outmatched by my silent Bloodhound Enforcement Unit, which forces them to scrub the plaza clean on their hands and knees while crowds record the humiliation.The heavy iron boots of the foreign mercenaries echoed against the marble plaza outside Sterling Enterprises. Twelve men in matching dark tactical coats stood in a tight perimeter, blocking the main entrance. Their leader, a scar-faced operative named Vane, leaned against the brass revolving door with his arms crossed. He carried a heavy custom sidearm openly on his hip, completely unbothered by the capital city traffic flowing past the curb.So, the Capital Alliance thought sending imported muscle would freeze our daily operations. Anyway, they clearly failed to read my dossier.I stepped through the side exit, my plain dark jacket hanging loose over my shoulders. The late afternoon air carried a sharp, damp breeze off the nearby river, smelling of wet

Lucas brings the international health board director to Sterling's primary capital warehouse, completely neutralizing the corrupt local health inspectors, stripping their licenses, and having them hauled away in zip-ties.Dust motes danced in the pale morning light cut by the high windows of Sterling’s primary capital distribution warehouse. Row upon row of floor-to-ceiling steel shelving stretched into the dim distance, stacked tight with high-tech medical sensors and sealed logistics crates. It was the nerve center of our entire capital expansion.Anyway, trouble loves a target.I stood two paces behind Evelyn, my hands resting loosely behind my back. My plain dark suit blended into the shadows of the loading bay, exactly how I liked it. Evelyn held her tablet tight against her chest. Her knuckles showed white against the dark leather casing.Across from us stood Chief Inspector Vance. No relation to me, thank goodness. The man was built like a flour sack tied tightly in the middle,

The chapter follows Lucas as he saves Evelyn during a sabotage attempt in an elevator shaft, neutralizes three rogue assassins in the pitch black, restores power manually, and leaves Evelyn stunned as she catches her first glimpse of his true, dangerous aura.The elevator drops three stories before the emergency brakes grab hold, but Lucas steps up, opens the roof hatch, handles the three assassins in the dark shaft, and fixes the power while Evelyn finally sees his true power.The elevator car shudders hard. A metallic snap echoes through the dark shaft above our heads, followed by the terrifying whine of steel cables unwinding at high speed.Evelyn screams, losing her footing as gravity vanishes for a sickening second. The car plummets. Three full floors pass in a blur of gray concrete walls behind the frosted glass doors. Dust pours through the ceiling vents, blinding us in the dim light.I grab Evelyn around the waist, pulling her flush against my chest as I lock my feet into a wi

Evelyn prepares for a high-stakes capital gala, convinced she is walking into an unavoidable trap. Her inner circle begs her to stay hidden, but Lucas calmly steps up, adjusts his tie, and assures her that tonight, control of the capital shifts to them.The private dressing room inside the Capital City tower smelled of expensive silk, fresh roses, and sheer panic.Evelyn stood in front of the full-length mirror, her fingers trembling as she tried to fasten a diamond earring. The silver gown she wore cascaded to the floor, elegant and flawless, but her pale face told a completely different story. She stared at her own reflection like a woman marching toward a firing squad."You cannot go through with this, Miss Sterling," Marcus, her chief financial director, said. He paced back and forth across the plush Persian rug, wringing his hands until his knuckles turned white. "It is suicide. Plain and simple.""He is right, Evelyn," secondary director Vance chimed in, leaning against the maho

The heavy rain pounded against the reinforced glass of the Harrison Clan’s private estate, but the noise inside the courtyard was far louder.Old Patriarch Harrison stood on the elevated marble porch, his hand resting on a polished mahogany cane. Surrounding him were fifty elite guards armed with assault rifles, alongside two dozen high-ranking members of the Harrison family. They were all sneering. They stared down at me like I was a dead man walking."Lucas Vance!" Patriarch Harrison's voice boomed over the thunderstorm. "You dared to break my grandson's legs and shut down our shipping lines in River City! You think because you wear a cheap security suit for the Sterling family, you can act wild in front of us?"I didn't answer right away. I pulled a cigarette from my pocket, lit it, and took a slow drag. The white smoke drifted up into the damp air, disappearing into the dark sky.Evelyn stood two steps behind me. Her fingers clutched the back of my jacket, her hands trembling. "Lu