The airport sat in an eerie stillness.Riverdale International Airport, normally alive with the constant hum of engines and the steady flow of thousands of travelers, had gone completely silent. The massive terminal stretched out like a hollow shell. Not a single person moved through the gleaming halls. Every shop had pulled down its metal shutters, locked the transparent glass door The departure boards froze mid-update. Even the usual announcements over the intercom had stopped.Outside on the tarmac, rows of military vehicles lined the runway. Soldiers stood at attention in perfect formation, their uniforms crisp under the harsh floodlights. Among them were the highest-ranking generals in the entire nation, men whose names alone commanded respect and fear. They stood with their backs straight, hands clasped behind them, eyes fixed on the empty sky.They were waiting.The Supreme Lord had announced his arrival.No one had seen him before. No one knew his face. For years, he had been

Raymond stepped out of Riverdale International Airport and paused for a moment, taking in the fresh air. The tarmac stretched out before him, lined with military vehicles and armed personnel standing in perfect formation. Rows of generals in decorated uniforms waited near the terminal entrance, their backs straight, eyes scanning the crowd of passengers spilling out from the gate. They were waiting for the Supreme Lord. Raymond glanced in their direction. His eyes passed over them without a flicker of recognition or interest. He didn't slow down. He didn't acknowledge them. He just kept walking, his boots hitting the pavement in steady rhythm. The generals waited. Their expressions stayed fixed, professional, but a few of them exchanged brief glances as Raymond walked past without so much as a nod. Raymond reached the curb and raised one hand. A yellow taxi pulled up almost immediately. The driver leaned over and popped the door open. Raymond climbed in, folding his massive fram

Raymond's head barely moved from the slap.The force was so light he didn't even feel it. His expression didn't change. He just stood there, looking past Deborah, his eyes scanning the street where the vans had disappeared.“It seems these people are well-trained assassins,” Raymond said, his voice calm. “Someone is planning to take your life. You've acquired enemies.”Deborah stared at him, her chest rising and falling quickly, her face flushed with anger.“Are you deaf or what?” she shouted. “Didn't you hear what I just said? How dare you endanger my life like that!”Raymond turned to face her.His eyes dropped slightly, and he froze.Part of her suit jacket had torn during the struggle. The fabric hung loose, exposing the top of her blouse. One of the buttons had come undone, and the edge of her bra was visible beneath the white fabric.Raymond's hand moved instinctively. He pointed at her chest and stepped closer.Deborah's eyes went wide. She took a step back, her hands coming up

Upon hearing what her fat just said Deborah's voice rose again, her face flushed with anger. “You're supposed to obey my words, not his! Why are you treating your daughter like this? Am I just a toy to you? Something you can trade away?”Marcus's jaw tightened. “Stop with the insults, Deborah. That's enough.”He turned back to Raymond, his voice quieter now. “It seems you two need to leave soon. The media will be all over this place. Assassination attempts are big news in this country, and you know how they are. Deborah, you're the director of Silverstone Enterprises now. The last thing you need is pictures of you in this state plastered all over the news.”He gestured toward the street. “Both of you should go somewhere quiet. Talk. Get to know each other. And I'm sure you don't want people taking pictures of the two of you together in a situation like this.”Deborah's face was still flushed, but she knew her father was right. The media would have a field day with this. She couldn't a

Darlington's eyes narrowed, but he didn't respond.Deborah quickly got back into the driver's seat. Raymond opened the back door and slid inside. The engine started, and without another word, Deborah pressed the gas pedal.The Rolls-Royce pulled away, driving past the enormous bouquet of flowers still sitting in the middle of the street.Darlington stood there, watching the car disappear around the corner. His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.His gaze fell on the massive bouquet.He walked over to it slowly, his jaw tight, his breathing heavy.Then he shoved it.The bouquet toppled over, flowers scattering across the pavement.Darlington stared at the ruined arrangement, his chest heaving.“She rejected me,” he muttered, his voice shaking with barely controlled rage. “She rejected me. Again.”His fists clenched tighter. “Again and again and again. She keeps rejecting me. Does she think I'm not worthy of her? Does she think she's too good for me?”His voic