Jaden/Selena POV The Maybach’s heavy door slammed shut, sealing out the roar of the storm.Inside, the scent of fresh leather and dry cedar filled the air. Marcus turned in the front passenger seat, his eyes fixed on the rearview mirror. He held out a warm, damp cloth."Your lip, sir."Jaden took the cloth, pressing it against his bleeding mouth. The sting made him blink, but his hand stayed steady. He leaned his head back against the leather headrest, staring out at the blurred neon lights of the city sliding across the wet window."The three-year record is clean," Marcus said softly, holding up a frameless black tablet. "No one outside this vehicle knows you broke dormancy. As far as the city is concerned, Jaden Stallion is still a broke son-in-law wandering the streets in the rain.""Good," Jaden said. His voice was rough, the edges raw.He looked at his reflection in the dark glass. His jaw was already swelling on the left side where Selena’s palm had landed. The physical pain m

Jaden POV The cold gray light of dawn filtered through the blinds of Jaden’s former bedroom—a cramped, windowless box at the back of the family home that smelled faintly of old paper and rain.Selena stood in the middle of the small space, a black plastic trash bag hanging loosely from her fingers. She had spent two hours lying awake in her own master suite, her mind churning over Jaden’s final words on the phone.You slapped me for a lie. Now live with the truth.She shook her head, forcing a sharp breath through her nostrils. It was just mind games. Jaden was a nobody who had gotten lucky guessing that Victor’s corporate credit was overextended. He was probably sleeping on a park bench right now, shivering in his wet clothes.She shoved open his closet door, expecting to find cheap polo shirts and worn-out sneakers. Instead, the shelves were almost bare. Jaden had taken nothing with him when he walked out.As she reached for a faded jacket on the top shelf, her knuckle caught agai

Jaden/Selena POVVance’s finger tightened against the trigger of his heavy sidearm. "Five," he spat into the cold wind, his jaw clenching hard. "You don't command this island anymore, Jaden. Three years playing house in the city turned you soft.""Four," Jaden said. His eyes didn't leave Vance’s face."Shoot him!" Vance barked to the line of contractors standing in the rain behind him.Silence answered him. Only the roar of the surf crashing against the black cliff faces echoed across the tarmac.Vance’s jaw jerked. He glanced sideways. "I said fire!"The red laser dots painting Jaden's dark coat flickered once, twice—and then swept down off his chest, sliding across the wet asphalt to lock onto Vance’s throat and forehead.The runway floodlights flashed from harsh yellow to a low, tactical blue. Every visor worn by Vance’s contractors beeped with a sharp, high-pitched warning tone.COMMAND OVERRIDE. SUPREME AUTHORIZATION DETECTED.Vance blinked, horror cracking through his composure.

Selena & Jaden POVThe smell of cheap coffee and stale disinfectant hung heavy in Interrogation Room A. Victor Vale leaned over the metal table, his collar unbuttoned, sweat soaking through his blue dress shirt. Across from him sat Federal Investigator Miller, calmly flipping through a stack of bank ledgers. "I didn't sign those transfer guarantees!" Victor yelled, his fingers slamming down on the formica tabletop. "Selena Vance brought those documents to my office! She told me her husband had corporate connections. I was an investor! I was misled!" Miller didn't look up. "Your thumbprint is on the digital signature pad, Mr. Vale." "She forced my hand! She and Jaden Stallion framed me!" Victor leaned in, his voice dropping into a frantic whisper. "Listen to me... I know how Aureus Capital operates. Give me a plea deal. I'll testify against Selena and her father. I'll hand over all the remaining Vance family land deeds to Aureus. Just clear my name from the default judgment." Mill

Selena/Victor POV The cold mahogany railing of Courtroom 4B was slick with the sweat of Selena’s palms. She stood in the narrow wooden dock, her legs trembling so violently that the links of the heavy iron leg restraints clattered against her ankles with every breath. Across the gallery, her father sat with his head in his hands, his knuckles raw and red, while her mother’s muffled sobs echoed off the tall marble walls. Judge Harold Vance didn't even look over his half-moon spectacles as he flipped through the thick, red-stamped federal indictment. "Case number 24-8891. The State versus Selena Vance," the judge read, his voice flat and mechanical. "Systemic bank fraud, execution of fraudulent corporate guarantees, and intentional default on federal credit reserves totaling one hundred and forty million dollars." Selena’s public defender—a tired-looking man with greasy hair and a wrinkled suit—didn't even raise his pen. "Your Honor, my client maintains she was misled by secondary