Lucas shares a quiet moment with Evelyn, revealing pieces of his past in the Black Iron Fortress before effortlessly disarming an assassin without breaking eye contact.The rain tapped against the thick glass of the high-rise suite, blurring the neon lights of the city below. Evelyn sat on the leather sofa, cradling a mug of tea with both hands. She stared at me, her eyes sharp and searching, trying to piece together the man standing by the window."You never talk about those three years," she said softly, her voice cutting through the quiet hum of the air conditioner. "The Black Iron Fortress. People don't just survive that place and come out looking like a standard security contractor."I took a sip of my coffee, feeling the heat radiate through my palm. "It wasn't a prison. Not really. It was a furnace. They throw you in to burn away everything soft until only iron remains."She set her mug on the glass table with a tiny clink. "And what did it burn out of you, Lucas?""My naivety,

The Global Crown tries stripping Evelyn’s trading permits at the summit, but I take total control of the island's defense grid using my Bloodhound lieutenants right under their noses.The salty ocean breeze swept through the grand glass foyer of the island resort, carrying the distant roar of crashing waves. I adjusted my plain black tie, keeping two steps behind Evelyn as she walked toward the main hall. She looked every bit the corporate queen, chin high, wearing a sleek velvet dress that matched her cold focus.So, tonight was supposed to be our public execution. That was the rumor floating around the marble corridors, anyway.The Master of the Global Crown had spent the last three hours whispering into the ears of every international delegate on this private French island. His plan was simple. Stripping Evelyn of her global trading permits during the opening session would crush Sterling Enterprises on the world stage. He thought he had bought every corrupt security chief and trade